ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

Nine Lives: Cats' Central Nervous System Can Repair Itself And Restore Function Posted: 31 Mar 2009 08:00 AM PDT Scientists studying a mysterious neurological affliction in cats have discovered a surprising ability of the central nervous system to repair itself and restore function.

New Radiation-free Targeted Therapy Detects And Eliminates Breast Cancer Tumors In Mice Posted: 31 Mar 2009 08:00 AM PDT Combining a compound known as a gallium corrole with a protein carrier results in a targeted cancer therapy that is able to detect and eliminate tumors in mice with seemingly fewer side effects than other breast-cancer treatments, according to new research.

'Green' Hair Bleach May Become Environmentally Friendly Consumer Product Posted: 31 Mar 2009 08:00 AM PDT Scientists from Japan are reporting development of what could be the world's first "green" hair bleach, an environmentally friendly preparation for lightening the color of hair on the head and other parts of the body without the unwanted effects of the bleaches used by millions of people each year.

Common Fragrance Ingredients In Shampoos And Conditioners Are Frequent Causes Of Eczema Posted: 31 Mar 2009 08:00 AM PDT Considerably more people than previously believed are allergic to the most common fragrance ingredient used in shampoos, conditioners and soap. Researchers found that over five percent of those who underwent patch testing were allergic to the air oxidized form of the fragrance ingredient linalool.

'Alarming' Use Of Energy In Modern Manufacturing Methods Posted: 31 Mar 2009 08:00 AM PDT Modern manufacturing methods are spectacularly inefficient in their use of energy and materials, according to a detailed MIT analysis of the energy use of 20 major manufacturing processes.

Mechanism For Social Development Found To Be Absent In Autistic Children Posted: 31 Mar 2009 08:00 AM PDT Two-year-olds with autism lack an important building block of social interaction that prompts newborn babies to pay attention to other people. Instead, these children pay attention to physical relationships between movement and sound and miss critical social information.

New Theory On Largest Known Mass Extinction In Earth's History Posted: 31 Mar 2009 05:00 AM PDT The largest mass extinction in the history of the earth could have been triggered off by giant salt lakes, whose emissions of halogenated gases changed the atmospheric composition so dramatically that vegetation was irretrievably damaged. At the Permian/Triassic boundary, 250 million years ago, about 90 percent of the animal and plant species ashore became extinct. Previously it was thought that volcanic eruptions, the impacts of asteroids, or methane hydrate were instigating causes.

Pregnancy: Bad Oral Hygiene Can Lead To Complications In Pregnancy And Problems For Babies Posted: 31 Mar 2009 05:00 AM PDT Bacteria from a mother's mouth can be transmitted through the blood and amniotic fluid to her unborn child. This could contribute to the risk of a premature delivery, a low birth-weight baby, premature onset of contractions, or infection of the newborn child. This evidence could have an important implication for women and babies' heath since simple improvement of dental hygiene may help to reduce the incidence of unknown complications in pregnancy and newborn babies.

Licorice May Block Effectiveness Of Drug Widely Used By Transplant Patients Posted: 31 Mar 2009 05:00 AM PDT Chemists in Taiwan are reporting that an ingredient in licorice -- widely used in various foods and herbal medicines -- appears to block the absorption of cyclosporine, a drug used by transplant patients to prevent organ rejection. This drug interaction could potentially result in illness and death among transplant patients and others taking cyclosporine and licorice together, they caution.

Tiny But Toxic: Mechanism Of Neurodegeneration In Alzheimer's Disease Discovered Posted: 31 Mar 2009 05:00 AM PDT Particles of amyloid beta that have not clumped into plaques severely disrupt neurotransmission and delivery of key proteins in Alzheimer's disease, scientists show.

Groundbreaking Study Reveals Intermediary Steps Of Genetic Encoding For The First Time Posted: 31 Mar 2009 05:00 AM PDT Scientists have shed light on a crucial step in the complex process by which human genetic information is transmitted to action in the human cell and frequently at which point genetic disease develops in humans.

Handwashing More Important Than Isolation In Controlling MRSA Superbug Infection, Study Suggests Posted: 31 Mar 2009 05:00 AM PDT Regular handwashing by hospital staff and visitors did more to prevent the spread of the MRSA superbug than isolating infected patients. The rates of cross infection with MRSA when patients were not moved to single rooms or nursed in separate MRSA bays were compared to the periods when patients were moved. There was no evidence of increased transmission of infection when patients were not moved.

Mice And Humans Should Have More In Common In Clinical Trials Posted: 31 Mar 2009 02:00 AM PDT Just as no two humans are the same, scientists have shown treating mice more as individuals in laboratory testing cuts down on erroneous results and could significantly reduce the cost of drug development.

Slow-growing TB Bacteria Point The Way To New Drug Development Posted: 31 Mar 2009 02:00 AM PDT The discovery of a large number of slow-growing Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacteria, which cause tuberculosis, in the lungs of TB patients could be an important step forward in the design of new anti-TB drugs.

Ice Storms Devastating To Pecan Orchards Posted: 31 Mar 2009 02:00 AM PDT Ice storms and other severe weather can have devastating impacts on pecan trees. Typical damage, cleanup, and recovery from four ice storms that hit the region from 2000 to 2007 were reported in a recent study. Trees less than 15 feet tall typically had the least damage; trees 15 to 30 feet tall incurred as much or more damage than larger trees and cleanup costs were greater.

Targeting Oxidized Cysteine Through Diet Could Reduce Inflammation And Lower Disease Risk Posted: 31 Mar 2009 02:00 AM PDT High levels of oxidized cysteine in the blood drive white blood cells to send out inflammatory messages, providing a direct link between a key marker of oxidative stress and inflammation. Targeting cysteine with antioxidants could reduce inflammation, which contributes to heart disease and neurodegenerative diseases. Adding cysteine to specialized nutrition formulations could reduce the impact of inflammation and sepsis in critical care patients.

Simple Method Devised To Predict Rises In Ebro River Level Posted: 31 Mar 2009 02:00 AM PDT A team of researchers in Spain has developed a new mathematical method to easily predict rises in the level of the Ebro River in Zaragoza based on water flow recorded in Castejón (Navarre). The system has a 97.5% success rate for 20-hour predictions.

Virtual Music School Becomes A Reality Posted: 31 Mar 2009 02:00 AM PDT Students of popular musical instruments may soon be learning to play with the help of a new generation of intelligent, interactive computer programs, thanks to European researchers.

Hundreds Of Natural-selection Studies Could Be Wrong, Study Demonstrates Posted: 30 Mar 2009 11:00 PM PDT Hundreds of natural-selection studies could have made incorrect conclusions because several statistical methods commonly used by biologists to detect natural selection at the molecular level tend to produce incorrect results, according to new research. The study suggests that, for a more realistic picture of natural selection, biologists should pair experimental data with their statistical data, whenever possible.

New Test May Predict Breast Cancer Metastasis Posted: 30 Mar 2009 11:00 PM PDT Researchers have identified a new marker for breast cancer metastasis called TMEM, for Tumor Microenvironment of Metastasis. Density of TMEM was found to be associated with the development of distant organ metastasis via the bloodstream -- the most common cause of death from breast cancer.

Cancer Genomics Browser Gives Cancer Researchers A Powerful New Tool Posted: 30 Mar 2009 11:00 PM PDT A Cancer Genomics Browser provides a new way to visualize and analyze data from studies aimed at improving cancer treatment by unraveling the complex genetic roots of the disease.

Mechanism That Regulates Cancer-causing Gene Discovered Posted: 30 Mar 2009 11:00 PM PDT Scientists have revealed how a cancer causing protein is regulated by reactive oxygen species -- a type of stress signal. Their findings provide new insight into how this protein normally behaves in human cells and may help in the design of drugs targeting specific cancers.

Statistical Road Safety Illuminated By Mathematics Of Eighteenth Century Minister Posted: 30 Mar 2009 11:00 PM PDT What possible connection could there be between an eighteenth century British Presbyterian minister and preventing road traffic accidents in Hartford, Connecticut? Everything, according to a report in the International Journal of Intelligent Systems Technologies and Applications.

Pregnant Women Who Smoke Urged To Give Up Before 15-week 'Deadline' Posted: 30 Mar 2009 11:00 PM PDT Women who stop smoking before week 15 of pregnancy cut their risk of spontaneous premature birth and having small babies to the same as non-smokers, according to new research.

New Step Towards Quantum Computers Posted: 30 Mar 2009 08:00 PM PDT The intrinsic rotation of electrons -- the "spin" -- is a promising property for future electronics devices. If use as an information carrier were possible, the processing power of electronic components would suddenly increase to a multiple of the present capacity. Physicists have now succeeded in aligning electron spin, bringing it to a controlled "waver" and reading it out. The electron spin can also be realigned as required at any time using optical pulses.

New Target For Alzheimer's Disease Therapy Posted: 30 Mar 2009 08:00 PM PDT Researchers have discovered that the unfolded protein response contributes to nerve cell death in Alzheimer's Disease.

Most Detailed Malaria Map Ever Highlights Hope And Challenges Facing Global Community Posted: 30 Mar 2009 08:00 PM PDT The most detailed map ever created of malaria risk worldwide has been published by an international team of researchers. The Malaria Atlas Project will be a powerful tool for helping target malaria control programs and suggests that elimination of malaria in three-quarters of the world's at-risk areas might be less difficult than previously thought.

Combination Of Very Low LDL And Normal Systolic Blood Pressure Attenuate Coronary Artery Disease Posted: 30 Mar 2009 08:00 PM PDT New data show that patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) who achieve very low levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol along with normal systolic blood pressure have the slowest progression of CAD. The results suggest that patients with CAD should be treated to the most stringent target levels so that they can achieve optimal results from their lipid lowering and antihypertensive therapies.

Making A Point: Picoscale Stability In A Room-temperature AFM Posted: 30 Mar 2009 08:00 PM PDT A research team has shown how to detect and monitor the tiny amount of light reflected directly off the needle point of an atomic force microscope probe, and in so doing has demonstrated a 100-fold improvement in the stability of the instrument's measurements under ambient conditions, work that potentially affects a broad range of research from nanomanufacturing to biology.

In The Age Of Facebook, Researcher Plumbs Shifting Online Relationships Posted: 30 Mar 2009 08:00 PM PDT A professor is researching details of relationships forged on social networking sites and determining their significance, depth and potential. She has discovered that across the social networking sites, online friendships range from close relationships with strong ties to looser affiliations -- but both types of friendships are useful.

Team Approach Appears To Work Best For Insect Colonies Posted: 30 Mar 2009 05:00 PM PDT Ants and bees have long been recognized as tireless workers, but now new research suggests they behave like model citizens, too. Unlike herds of bison or shoals of fish -- where individuals may appear to be team players but actually behave according to their own interests -- some animals, including ants and bees, really do have the best interests of the group at heart.

Egg Makes Sure That Sperm Don't Get Too Old Posted: 30 Mar 2009 05:00 PM PDT In contrast to women, men are fertile throughout life. But new research in Sweden has now shown that a fertilizing sperm can get help from the egg to rejuvenate. The result is an important step towards future stem cell therapy.

Glass You Can Build With: Metallic Glass That's Stronger And Lasts Longer Posted: 30 Mar 2009 05:00 PM PDT Bulk metallic glass has no crystalline structure, and many kinds of metallic glasses are stronger than their crystalline cousins. But until now they have exhibited poor fatigue resistance -- in other words, they wear out much too fast. Materials scientists have solved the problem with a new way of making metallic glass.

New Data On Cancer Survival In Europe Show More Patients Are Cured Posted: 30 Mar 2009 05:00 PM PDT New data and analyses from a long-running study of cancer survival in Europe have shown that the number of people actually cured of cancer -- rather than just surviving for at least five years after diagnosis -- is rising steadily.

Coenzyme Rare To Bacteria Critical To Mycobacterium Tuberculosis Survival Posted: 30 Mar 2009 05:00 PM PDT Coenzyme F420 is common in archaea, some of which thrive in extreme environments, but rare in bacteria. However, it also helps the bacterium that causes tuberculosis to survive the defenses of the human immune system. Scientists have now discovered at least one way F420 helps to arm the pathogen.

Why Some People Shake Off The Flu In A Couple Of Days, While Others Suffer Longer, Or Die Posted: 30 Mar 2009 05:00 PM PDT For some people it is a certainty: as soon as the annual flu season gets underway, they are sure to go down with it. It is little comfort to know that there are other people who are apparently resistant to flu or overcome the illness after just a couple of days. It is this phenomenon that is now being investigated using various strains of mice.

Month Of Conception Linked To Birth Defects In United States Posted: 30 Mar 2009 02:00 PM PDT Birth defect rates in the US are highest for women conceiving in the spring and summer, new findings indicate. Researchers also found that this period of increase risk correlated with increased levels of pesticides in surface water across the US.

Male Circumcision Reduces Risk Of Genital Herpes And HPV Infection, But Not Syphilis Posted: 30 Mar 2009 02:00 PM PDT Heterosexual men who undergo medical circumcision can significantly reduce their risk of acquiring two common sexually transmitted infections -- herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2), the cause of genital herpes, and human papillomavirus, which can cause cancer and genital warts, according to a new report. In the study, circumcision had no effect on their risk of becoming infected with the bacterium that causes syphilis.

Superbug Risk To War Wounded Posted: 30 Mar 2009 02:00 PM PDT Soldiers who survive severe injuries on battlefields such as those in Iraq and Afghanistan can be at risk from developing infections of their wounds with multidrug resistant bacteria. The potentially lethal microbes include superbugs such as methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella species and Escherichia coli.

New Study Suggests Rx Estrogen Delivery Through The Skin May Show Safety Benefits As Opposed To Oral Delivery Posted: 30 Mar 2009 02:00 PM PDT Transdermal delivery of estrogen therapy available by prescription "seems not to alter" the risk of venous thromboembolism, or blood clotting, in postmenopausal patients when compared to oral delivery, a new study suggests.

Computer Simulations Help Fine-tune Laser Attack On Cancer Posted: 30 Mar 2009 02:00 PM PDT Two lasers may be better than one when attacking cancer cells, according to scientists who are using computer simulations to quantify the effect of heating nanoparticles with near-infrared lasers to kill cancer tumors without damaging healthy tissue.

Viewers Can Learn A Lot About Objects In Their Field Of Vision, Even Without Paying Attention Posted: 30 Mar 2009 02:00 PM PDT Contrary to a common belief on attention, visual learning study indicates that viewers can learn a great deal about objects in their field of vision even without paying attention.

New Portable Energy Source Utilizes Microbes To Turn Electricity Directly To Methane Posted: 30 Mar 2009 11:00 AM PDT A tiny microbe can take electricity and directly convert carbon dioxide and water to methane, producing a portable energy source with a potentially neutral carbon footprint, according to engineers. The process does not sequester carbon, but it does turn carbon dioxide into fuel, according to researchers.

Autism Skews Developing Brain With Synchronous Motion And Sound Posted: 30 Mar 2009 11:00 AM PDT Individuals with autism spectrum disorders tend to stare at people's mouths rather than their eyes. Now, a study in 2-year-olds with the social deficit disorder suggests why they might find mouths so attractive: lip-sync -- the exact match of lip motion and speech sound. Such audiovisual synchrony preoccupied toddlers who have autism, while their unaffected peers focused on socially meaningful movements of the human body, such as gestures and facial expressions.

Drop In Daddy Long Legs Is Devastating Bird Populations Posted: 30 Mar 2009 11:00 AM PDT Research shows how climate change is having an impact on upland bird species such as the golden plover.

Simple Finger Device May Help Predict Heart Attacks Posted: 30 Mar 2009 11:00 AM PDT A simple, noninvasive finger sensor test is "highly predictive" of a major cardiac event, such as a heart attack or stroke, for people who are considered at low or moderate risk, according to researchers.

New Form Of Destructive Terrorist Material Unlikely, Chemists Report Posted: 30 Mar 2009 11:00 AM PDT Concerns that terrorists could produce a new and particularly dangerous form of the explosive responsible for airport security screening of passengers' shoes and restrictions on liquids in carryon baggage are unfounded, a group of scientists is reporting. Their study demonstrates that a new form of destructive terrorist material is unlikely.

Activity Of Individual Brain Cells Predicts Cognitive Flexibility Posted: 30 Mar 2009 11:00 AM PDT A new study provides intriguing insights into mechanisms of cognitive flexibility at the single cell level. The research may help to explain how we can change our point of view when faced with conflict.

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