ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

Hidden Exoplanet Found In Archival Data Posted: 02 Apr 2009 08:00 AM PDT A powerful, newly refined image-processing technique may allow astronomers to discover extrasolar planets that are possibly lurking in over a decade's worth of Hubble Space Telescope archival data.

Cholesterol Crystals Linked To Cardiovascular Attacks Posted: 02 Apr 2009 08:00 AM PDT For the first time ever, a researcher has shown cholesterol crystals can disrupt plaque in a patient's cardiovascular system, causing a heart attack or stroke.

Experimental Parkinson's Therapy May Have Robust Weight-loss Effect Posted: 02 Apr 2009 08:00 AM PDT A growth factor used to rescue dying brain cells may cause unwanted weight loss if placed in specific brain regions -- a cautionary warning for experimental treatments to treat Parkinson's disease that use GDNF, short for glial cell-line derived neurotrophic factor. In addition, the finding broadens understanding of the brain's role in the regulation of metabolism and body weight, suggesting that gene therapy techniques in the brain potentially could control obesity.

Diet Affects Diversity Of Microbes In Human Gut, And In Turn, Colon Cancer Risk Posted: 02 Apr 2009 08:00 AM PDT A typical Western diet, rich in meat and fats and low in complex carbohydrates, is a recipe for colon cancer, scientists say. Researchers have described an expanding body of evidence to show that the composition of the diet directly influences the diversity of the microbes in the gut, providing the link between diet, colonic disease and colon cancer.

Evolutionary Origin Of Bacterial Chromosomes Revealed Posted: 02 Apr 2009 08:00 AM PDT Researchers have unveiled the evolutionary origin of the different chromosomal architectures found in three species of Agrobacterium. A comprehensive comparison of the Agrobacterium sequence information with the genome sequences of other bacteria suggests a general model for how second chromosomes are formed in bacteria.

From Stress To Financial Mess: Acute Stress Affects Financial Decision Making Posted: 02 Apr 2009 08:00 AM PDT According to a new report in Psychological Science, stress could make our financial troubles even worse. This study suggests that stress exaggerates the reflection effect; while exposed to stress volunteers were more conservative when choosing between potentially positive outcomes and were riskier when choosing between gambles that could result in a loss. These findings indicate that in financial decision making, where rational and deliberative thinking is essential, a stressful environment might hamper our ability to make decisions.

New Theory Of Autism Suggests Symptoms Or Disorder May Be Reversible Posted: 02 Apr 2009 05:00 AM PDT Scientists have proposed a sweeping new theory of autism that suggests that the brains of people with autism are structurally normal but dysregulated, meaning symptoms of the disorder might be reversible.

New Way To Fight Cocaine Addiction Discovered Posted: 02 Apr 2009 05:00 AM PDT Pharmacological researchers have discovered that blocking a hormone related to hunger regulation can limit cocaine cravings. Their findings could herald a new approach to overcoming addiction.

Network Turns Soldiers' Helmets Into Sniper Location System Posted: 02 Apr 2009 05:00 AM PDT Imagine a platoon of soldiers fighting in a hazardous urban environment who carry personal digital assistants that can display the location of enemy shooters in three dimensions and accurately identify the caliber and type of weapons they are firing. Engineers have developed a system that can give soldiers just such an edge by turning their combat helmets into "smart nodes" in a wireless sensor network.

Reductions In Cancer And Overall Mortality Persist 10 Years After Vitamin And Mineral Supplementation Posted: 02 Apr 2009 05:00 AM PDT Individuals who took a dietary supplement called "factor D", which included selenium, vitamin E, and beta-carotene, continued to have lower gastric cancer and overall mortality 10 years after supplementation ceased compared with individuals who did not take the supplements, according to long-term follow-up data from the randomized, double-blind General Population Nutrition Intervention Trial in Linxian, China.

Climate Change Fears For Deadly Virus Outbreaks In Livestock Posted: 02 Apr 2009 05:00 AM PDT Global warming could have chilling consequences for European livestock, warned an expert. Since 1998, rising temperatures have led to outbreaks of bluetongue across most of Europe, which have killed over two million ruminants. Related viruses, such as African horse sickness virus, with a fatality rate of more than 95 percent and sharing the same insect vectors as bluetongue, could also be introduced.

Health Undervalued In Reproductive Rights Debate Posted: 02 Apr 2009 05:00 AM PDT A review of recent reproductive rights cases shows that judges may shortchange women's health when it is pitted against other legal interests, such as religious freedom.

Source Of Major Health Benefits In Olive Oil Revealed Posted: 02 Apr 2009 02:00 AM PDT Scientists have pinned down the constituent of olive oil that gives greatest protection from heart attack and stroke. In a study of the major antioxidants in olive oil, researchers showed that one, DHPEA-EDA, protects red blood cells from damage more than any other part of olive oil.

Scientists Discover And Manipulate Molecular Interplay That Moves Cancer Cells Posted: 02 Apr 2009 02:00 AM PDT Based on research that reveals new insight into mechanisms that allow invasive tumor cells to move, researchers have a new understanding about how to stop cancer from spreading. A cancer that spreads elsewhere in the body, known as metastasis, is the process that most often leads to death from the disease.

New Solutions For The Arsenic-poisoning Crisis In Asia Posted: 02 Apr 2009 02:00 AM PDT Every day, more than 140 million people in southern Asia drink groundwater contaminated with arsenic. Thousands die of cancer each year in what has been called the biggest mass poisoning in history. Now scientists have discovered how arsenic enters the groundwater and are proposing ways to reverse the poisoning.

Making Gene Therapy Safer Using Self-inactivating LTRs Posted: 02 Apr 2009 02:00 AM PDT Several patients in gene therapy clinical trials have developed leukemia as a result of their treatment. The underlying cause of leukemia is thought to be that the viral vectors used to carry the therapeutic gene into cells (gamma-RVs) integrate into the genome of the cells disrupting the natural control of cancer-associated genes (a process known as insertional mutagenesis).

Magnetism Governs Properties Of Iron-based Superconductors Posted: 02 Apr 2009 02:00 AM PDT Though a year has passed since the discovery of a new family of high-temperature superconductors, a viable explanation for the iron-based materials' unusual properties remains elusive. But a team of scientists working at NIST may be close to the answer.

Making The List: Disparities In Kidney Transplant Waiting Lists Posted: 02 Apr 2009 02:00 AM PDT You might expect that living close to a clinic that specializes in transplanting organs would put you at an advantage if you needed a new kidney. According to a new study, you would be wrong.

Carbon Capture Has A Sparkling Future, New Findings Show Posted: 01 Apr 2009 11:00 PM PDT New research shows that for millions of years carbon dioxide has been stored safely and naturally in underground water in gas fields saturated with the greenhouse gas. The findings bring carbon capture and storage a step closer.

Skin Cancer Study Uncovers New Tumor Suppressor Gene Posted: 01 Apr 2009 11:00 PM PDT Researchers have identified a gene that suppresses tumor growth in melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer. The finding is reported in the journal Nature Genetics as part of a systematic genetic analysis of a group of enzymes implicated in skin cancer and many other types of cancer.

Brain Surgery On Monday, Home On Tuesday Posted: 01 Apr 2009 11:00 PM PDT Norma Wooley checked into Loyola University Hospital on a recent Monday morning for brain surgery to repair a life-threatening aneurysm. She went home on Tuesday, cured of the slurred speech, drooping face and worst headache of her life. Dr. John Whapham used a less-invasive technique that's becoming increasingly common in brain surgery.

Overexpression Of Fatty Acid Synthase Promotes Prostate Cancer In Mouse Models Posted: 01 Apr 2009 11:00 PM PDT Fatty acid synthase (FASN) can act as a prostate cancer oncogene in mouse models.

Spreading Antibiotics In The Soil Affects Microbial Ecosystems Posted: 01 Apr 2009 11:00 PM PDT Antibiotics used extensively in intensive livestock production may be having an adverse effect on agricultural soil ecosystems. Researchers describe how antibiotics passed from the animals in manure that was then spread on farmland. Although higher organisms, such as earthworms, would only be affected at unrealistic concentrations of antibiotics, changes in soil bacterial communities have been found repeatedly using molecular microbiological techniques.

Surprisingly High Rate Of Patients Readmitted To Hospital Within A Month Posted: 01 Apr 2009 11:00 PM PDT A new national study has found one out of five Medicare patients discharged from the hospital is readmitted within 30 days, costing billions in health care and suffering for patients. The study also found that more than half of those patients appear not to have seen a physician as an outpatient since they were released from the hospital. It indicates a major disconnect between care in the hospital and outside it.

New Role For Lung Epithelial Cells In Sensing Allergens In Air Posted: 01 Apr 2009 08:00 PM PDT Researchers have identified a new role for certain lung cells in the immune response to airborne allergens. Many foreign substances, called antigens, are inhaled daily, but the lungs have mechanisms that usually prevent people from making unwanted immune responses to these materials. Sometimes, however, immune responses are generated to these substances, resulting in allergic responses and asthma. Scientists have worked to understand what triggers these undesirable responses.

Restoring Teeth: Glass Fiber Posts Favor More Resistant And More Beautiful Smiles, Study Finds Posted: 01 Apr 2009 08:00 PM PDT Restoring teeth to offer not only a beautiful smile but also a highly resistant one is the ultimate goal of the project undertaken by researchers in Spain. To this end, they have concluded that the ideal material for designing posts, which serve to bond the restored piece to the root, is glass fiber.

Three-drug Chemotherapy Combination Increases Organ Preservation In Patients With Larynx Cancer Posted: 01 Apr 2009 08:00 PM PDT Patients with larynx cancer who received a three-drug combination of docetaxel, cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil during induction chemotherapy were more likely to retain larynx function than were patients treated with cisplatin and 5-fluoruracil alone, according to data from a randomized controlled trial.

Respiratory Risk From Hospital Cleaning Fluids Posted: 01 Apr 2009 08:00 PM PDT Cleaning fluids used in hospitals may pose a health risk to both staff and patients. A pilot study published in the journal Environmental Health has found that potentially hazardous chemicals are contained in a selection of agents used in several different hospitals.

Exercise Intensity And Duration Linked To Improved Outcomes For Heart Failure Patients Posted: 01 Apr 2009 08:00 PM PDT The level of exercise is linked with the reduction of hospitalization and death in patients with chronic heart failure, according to a new study. Researchers measured the duration and intensity of exercise and found that increasing these parameters improved patients' quality of life and exercise capacity, and lessened their risk for hospitalization and death.

Physical Activity May Strengthen Children's Ability To Pay Attention Posted: 01 Apr 2009 05:00 PM PDT Physical activity may increase students' cognitive control -- or ability to pay attention -- and also result in better performance on academic achievement tests, according to research led by a kinesiology and community health expert.

Adult Stem Cell Injections May Reduce Pain And Improve Walking In Severe Angina Patients Posted: 01 Apr 2009 05:00 PM PDT The largest CD34+ adult stem cell study for heart disease has shown the first evidence that delivering a potent form of autologous (from the patient) adult stem cells into the heart muscle of patients with severe angina may result in less pain and improved exercise tolerance.

Teens Cool Off From Sports With Each Succeeding Winter Posted: 01 Apr 2009 05:00 PM PDT Although winter's grasp has subsided to spring, its effects could have a long term impact on the exercise patterns of teenagers. While teens are generally more active in warmer months, significant drops in physical activity during winter months contributes to a general slowdown in exercise habits throughout adolescence that could persist over time.

Approach To Treat Bone Loss Might Increase Bone Cancer Risk Posted: 01 Apr 2009 05:00 PM PDT One approach being considered as a new way to treat osteoporosis is the development of molecules that block the action of proteins that inhibit the Wnt signaling pathway. However, dysregulated Wnt signaling is associated with several cancers.

New Molecular Force Probe Stretches Molecules, Atom By Atom Posted: 01 Apr 2009 05:00 PM PDT Chemists have created a simple and inexpensive molecular technique that replaces an expensive atomic force microscope for studying what happens to small molecules when they are stretched or compressed.

Little House On The Moon? Robot Being Created For First Moon Construction Project Posted: 01 Apr 2009 05:00 PM PDT Scientists are planning on sending a robot to the moon to construct a house. The House on the Moon is a project that aims to put a little read cottage on the moon as a symbol of what one man can achieve. The robot will roll out a little cabin from a space rocket, find a stable vacant lot, and erect the planet's first building.

News From Space For Osteoporosis Patients On Earth: Resistance Is Not Futile Posted: 01 Apr 2009 05:00 PM PDT Results of a space experiment have yielded a giant leap for science that could translate into an important step for mankind in the ongoing battle against osteoporosis. In the report, a team of Italian scientists show for the first time that a lack of resistance (i.e., gravity) activates bone-destroying cells.

Humanoid Robot Helps Scientists Understand Intelligence Posted: 01 Apr 2009 02:00 PM PDT A humanoid robot will lead to a deeper understanding of human intelligence, scientists say. Researchers will test their theories about cognition by creating a computer simulation of a brain, which will replicate how neurons in real brains communicate through short bursts of electrical energy.

Biologists Discover A Protein Link To Wound Healing Posted: 01 Apr 2009 02:00 PM PDT Diabetes and eczema may appear to be two completely unrelated diseases. But biologists have uncovered what appears to be a crucial biochemical link between the two.

Mutated Gene In Zebrafish Sheds Light On Blindness In Humans Posted: 01 Apr 2009 02:00 PM PDT Among zebrafish, the eyes have it. Inside them is a mosaic of light-sensitive cells whose structure and functions are nearly identical to those of humans. There, biologists discovered a gene mutation that determines if the cells develop as rods (the photoreceptors responsible for dim-light vision) or as cones (the photoreceptors needed for color vision).

Too Much Oxygen Not A Good Thing For Tumors Posted: 01 Apr 2009 02:00 PM PDT As tumors grow, some regions lack a blood supply adequate to maintain good levels of oxygen, that is some regions become hypoxic. This is a hallmark of malignant tumors and has been suggested, but not experimentally proven, to promote tumor progression.

Silicon Micro-Islands And Nano-Spikes Channel Water On Glass Slides Posted: 01 Apr 2009 02:00 PM PDT Working at the nanoscale level, engineering researchers have created stable superhydrophilic surfaces on a glass substrate. The surfaces, made of randomly placed and densely distributed micron-sized silicon islands with nano-sized spikes, allow water to quickly penetrate textures and spread over the surface.

Neural Networks Help Unravel Complexity Of Self-awareness Posted: 01 Apr 2009 02:00 PM PDT Computer scientists in Spain have applied neural networks to model cognitive functions associated with awareness and self-awareness.

New Flat Flexible Speakers Might Even Help You Catch Planes And Trains Posted: 01 Apr 2009 11:00 AM PDT A groundbreaking new loudspeaker -- less than 0.25mm thick -- has been developed by researchers in England. It's flat, flexible, could be hung on a wall like a picture and its particular method of sound generation could make public announcements in places like passenger terminals clearer, crisper and easier to hear.

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