ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

Simulations And Ancient Magnetism Suggest Mantle Plumes May Bend Deep Beneath Earth's Crust Posted: 06 Apr 2009 08:00 AM PDT New computer simulations, paleomagnetism and plate motion histories reveal how hotspots, centers of erupting magma that sit atop columns of hot mantle that were once thought to remain firmly fixed in place, in fact move beneath Earth's crust.

Yeast Infections Worsening: Rapidly Mutating Yeast Causing More Infections Posted: 06 Apr 2009 08:00 AM PDT During the recent years yeasts have been causing more and more infections in humans. One of them can mutate surprisingly quickly by reorganizing its chromosomes. This enables this yeast to tolerate higher doses of anti-fungal medicine.

Genes That Make Bacteria Make Up Their Minds Posted: 06 Apr 2009 08:00 AM PDT How do single celled bacteria living as part of a complex community called a biofilm "decide" between different physiological processes, such as movement or producing the "glue" that forms the biofilm? A leading expert explains it is important to understand how biofilms form as they are often the basis of chronic infections and also of bioremediation processes.

Missing Enzyme Conveys Major Heart Protection In Pre-clinical Work Posted: 06 Apr 2009 08:00 AM PDT Mice born without a certain enzyme can resist the normal effects of a heart attack and retain nearly normal function in the heart's ventricles and still-oxygenated heart tissue, according to a new study.

Naturally Fluorescent Molecules May Serve As Cancer Biomarker Posted: 06 Apr 2009 08:00 AM PDT Excess amounts of a naturally fluorescent molecule found in all living cells could serve as a natural biomarker for cancer, according to bioengineers.

Does Stress Of Being A Parent Lead To Decay In Children's Teeth? Posted: 06 Apr 2009 08:00 AM PDT A team of scientists has examined the stress levels of parents whose young children either had no cavities or so many cavities that the children had receive anesthesia before undergoing dental treatment.

Sexy Or Repulsive? Butterfly Wings Can Be Both To Mates And Predators Posted: 06 Apr 2009 05:00 AM PDT Butterflies seem able to both attract mates and ward off predators using different sides of their wings, according to new research.

Cellular Target May Prove Useful In Treating Deadly Brain Tumors Posted: 06 Apr 2009 05:00 AM PDT Researchers have identified a receptor on the surface of cells that may give them another avenue of attack against glioblastoma, the most common and most deadly type of brain cancer.

Visual Attention: How The Brain Makes The Most Of The Visible World Posted: 06 Apr 2009 05:00 AM PDT The visual system has limited capacity, and cannot process everything that falls onto the retina. Instead, the brain relies on attention to bring salient details into focus and filter out background clutter. Two recent studies have helped to unravel the mechanisms underlying attention.

Difference In Fat Storage May Explain Lower Rate Of Liver Disease In African-Americans Posted: 06 Apr 2009 05:00 AM PDT Where different ethnic groups store fat in their bodies may account for differences in the likelihood they'll develop insulin resistance and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, researchers have found.

Lifeless Cells Ensure Sharp Vision Posted: 06 Apr 2009 05:00 AM PDT Seemingly dead cells perform a surprising task in the lens of a fish eye. Every morning and evening they change the lens's capacity to refract light in order to enhance color perception during the day and night vision when it's dark.

Researchers Identify Personality Traits Of Centenarian Offsprings Which May Influence Longetivity Posted: 06 Apr 2009 05:00 AM PDT Researchers have noted specific personality traits associated with healthy aging and longevity amongst the children of centenarians.

Chemists Create Bipedal, Autonomous DNA Walker Posted: 06 Apr 2009 02:00 AM PDT Chemists have created a bipedal, autonomous DNA "walker" that can mimic a cell's transportation system. The device marks a step toward more complex synthetic molecular motor systems.

Gene Linked To Lupus Might Explain Gender Difference In Disease Risk Posted: 06 Apr 2009 02:00 AM PDT In an international human genetic study, researchers have identified a gene linked to the autoimmune disease lupus, and its location on the X chromosome might help explain why females are 10 times more susceptible to the disease than males.

Tea Tree Oil And Silver Together Make More Effective Antiseptics Posted: 06 Apr 2009 02:00 AM PDT Mixing tea tree oil and silver or putting them in liposomes, greatly increases their antimicrobial activity and may minimise any side effects. New research shows that although both tea tree oil and silver -- as silver nitrate -- are effective against a range of micro-organisms, when low concentrations of the two agents were combined, their antimicrobial activity increases.

Drug-eluting Stents Found Safe, Superior To Bare Metal Stents, Study Suggests Posted: 06 Apr 2009 02:00 AM PDT Drug-eluting stents were safe and superior to bare metal stents in preventing death and heart attacks among 262,700 "real-world" patients enrolled in a nationwide registry of cardiovascular disease.

Need Wild Bees? Plastic Totes Make A Superb Bee 'Nursery' Posted: 06 Apr 2009 02:00 AM PDT Corrugated plastic bins like the kind sold for handling mail and packages can be quickly and easily converted into a durable "nursery" for wild bees, according to a research entomologist.

Waking Up During Surgery: Low-cost Prevention? Posted: 06 Apr 2009 02:00 AM PDT Consciousness during general anaesthesia is an extremely distressing condition leading to post-operative psychological trauma and contributes towards patients' fear of surgery. Researchers write that intra-operative awareness with subsequent recall is surprisingly common, affecting around 1 in 500 surgical cases. These appear to be mostly preventable.

Breakthrough In Global Warming Plant Production: One Step Closer To 'Holy Grail' Of Plant Biology Research Posted: 05 Apr 2009 11:00 PM PDT Researchers have made a discovery about plant growth which could potentially have an enormous impact on crop production as global warming increases.

After Heart Attack, Bone Marrow Stem Cells Increase Blood Flow Within Heart Posted: 05 Apr 2009 11:00 PM PDT Patients treated with their own bone marrow stem cells after a heart attack experienced increased circulation within the heart, a study has found.

Dendritic Cell Lineage Defined Posted: 05 Apr 2009 11:00 PM PDT Dendritic cells were discovered more than 30 years ago, but their pedigree has never been fully charted. They were known to be key immune system cells born in bone marrow, but their adolescence remained a mystery, their path to infection-fighting adulthood confused. Now, in experiments published in Science, researchers have identified these special cells' rites of passage: They have shown the developmental point when dendritic cells part ways with closely related immune cells known as monocytes, at least in mice. The findings could have important implications for research on dendritic cell-based vaccines all over the world.

Concern Over Inappropriate Diagnosis And Treatment Of Thyroid Problems Posted: 05 Apr 2009 11:00 PM PDT More and more people are being inappropriately diagnosed and treated for underactivity of the thyroid gland (known as primary hypothyroidism), warn doctors in an editorial.

New High-throughput Screening Technique Makes Probing Puzzling Proteins Possible Posted: 05 Apr 2009 11:00 PM PDT Understanding the tens of thousands of proteins that compose the human proteome has emerged as a key challenge of this century, and research efforts to date have already enabled major advances in drug discovery and understanding basic biology. But many potential avenues have been blocked by lack of information about how the majority of these proteins function.

Death Of A Child In The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: Long-term Consequences For Siblings Posted: 05 Apr 2009 11:00 PM PDT Little is known about the long-term effects of the death of a child in the neonatal intensive care unit on survivor siblings. These siblings may encounter unforeseen emotional difficulties and developmental consequences that can occur whether the siblings are born before or after the infant's death.

Bird Feathers Produce Color Through Structure Similar To Beer Foam Posted: 05 Apr 2009 08:00 PM PDT Some of the brightest colors in nature are created by tiny nanostructures with a structure similar to beer foam or a sponge, according to researchers.

Molecular Switch Linking Infectious Disease And Depression Identified Posted: 05 Apr 2009 08:00 PM PDT Researchers report that IDO, an enzyme found throughout the body and long suspected of playing a role in depression, is in fact essential to the onset of depressive symptoms sparked by chronic inflammation.

Two Galaxies For A Unique Event Posted: 05 Apr 2009 08:00 PM PDT To celebrate the 100 Hours of Astronomy, ESO is sharing two stunning images of unusual galaxies, both belonging to the Sculptor group of galaxies. The images, obtained at two of ESO's observatories at La Silla and Paranal in Chile, illustrate the beauty of astronomy.

Discovery Of Protein That Reactivates Herpes Simplex Virus Helps Solve Medical Mystery Posted: 05 Apr 2009 08:00 PM PDT New research appears to solve a long standing medical mystery by identifying a viral protein, VP16, as the molecular key that prompts herpes simplex virus (HSV) to exit latency and cause recurrent disease. The new study points to a molecular target for designing improved HSV vaccines and treatments.

New MRI Signaling Method Could Picture Disease Metabolism In Action Posted: 05 Apr 2009 08:00 PM PDT Chemists are using modified magnetic resonance imaging to see molecular changes inside people's bodies that could signal health problems such as cancer.

Babies Born To Women With Anxiety Or Depression Are More Likely To Sleep Poorly Posted: 05 Apr 2009 08:00 PM PDT A new study suggests that babies are more likely to have night wakings at both six months and 12 months of age if they are born to women who suffered from anxiety or depression prior to the pregnancy.

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