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Prehistoric Bears Ate Everything And Anything, Just Like Modern Cousins Posted: 13 Apr 2009 08:00 AM PDT By comparing the craniodental morphology of modern bear species to that of two extinct species, researchers have discovered that the expired plantigrades were not so different from their current counterparts. The cave bear, regarded as the great herbivore of the carnivores, was actually more omnivorous than first thought. The short-faced bear, a hypercarnivore, also ate plants depending on their availability. The work offers key insights into the evolution of the carnivore niches during the Ice Age.

Bioterrorism: Fast And Sensitive Way To Detect Ricin Posted: 13 Apr 2009 08:00 AM PDT Scientists have developed a simple, accurate, and highly sensitive test to detect and quantify ricin, an extremely potent toxin with potential use as a bioterrorism agent.

Pig Of The Future Might Be Free Of Diseases That Can Infect People Posted: 13 Apr 2009 08:00 AM PDT Pigs are known carriers of the bacterium Yersinia enterocolitica, and they can infect both other pigs and people. Human infection occurs through eating improperly-cooked pork. Scientists are trying to rid pigs of the bacterium.

Link Between Widely Used Osteoporosis Drugs And Heart Problems Probed Posted: 13 Apr 2009 08:00 AM PDT New research evaluated the link between a common class of drugs used to prevent bone fractures in osteoporosis patients and the development of irregular heartbeat.

Frogs Reveal Clues About The Effects Of Alcohol During Development Posted: 13 Apr 2009 08:00 AM PDT Alcohol can cause severe birth defects characteristic of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder or fetal alcohol syndrome, but why these abnormalities occur is remains a mystery. Researchers have used frog embryos to show that alcohol steals away molecules needed for normal development and uses them for its own detoxification, causing cellular disorientation during a critical period of growth.

Public Trust Doctrine Could Aid Management Of U.S. Ocean Waters Posted: 13 Apr 2009 08:00 AM PDT Since Congress lifted a moratorium on offshore drilling last year, federal lawmakers have grappled with the issue of how best to regulate US ocean waters to allow oil, wave and wind energy development, while sustainably managing critical fisheries and marine animal habitats.

Epigenetics: DNA Isn’t Everything Posted: 13 Apr 2009 05:00 AM PDT Research into epigenetics has shown that environmental factors affect characteristics of organisms. These changes are sometimes passed on to the offspring. Does this in any way oppose Darwin's theory of evolution? Not according to researchers.

Fat-derived Inflammatory Factor May Explain Diseases That Come With Obesity Posted: 13 Apr 2009 05:00 AM PDT An inflammatory factor already linked to several diseases, including pulmonary disease, lung cancer, and arthritis, may also be responsible for the insulin resistance that comes with obesity, according to a new study.

Scientists Show How A Neuron Gets Its Shape Posted: 13 Apr 2009 05:00 AM PDT For the brain to work, neurons have to be connected in the right places. Now, new research shows that rather than growing like the branches of a tree -- extending outward -- certain neurons work backward from their destination, dropping anchor and stretching their dendrites behind them as they crawl away.

Diseased Cartilage Harbors Unique Migratory Progenitor Cells Posted: 13 Apr 2009 05:00 AM PDT A new study finds previously unidentified fibrocartilage-forming progenitor cells in degenerating, diseased human cartilage, but not in cartilage from healthy joints. The research provides valuable insights into the reparative potential of cartilage and may lead to development of regenerative therapies for arthritis.

Electronics: Keeping The Heat Down Posted: 13 Apr 2009 05:00 AM PDT Electronic products are having to accommodate more and more components, all of which generate heat. Too much heat could put laptops and other devices out of action, so manufacturers equip them with metal plates to discharge it. A new composite can do this better.

Novel Method Predicts Impact Of A Covert Anthrax Release Posted: 13 Apr 2009 05:00 AM PDT A new statistical method that can estimate the origin and time of an aerosolized release of the pathogen causing anthrax, following detection of the first few cases has been developed. The method predicts where the most critically affected areas will be following the release of this highly pathogenic agent, which may enable preventative treatment of individuals at risk and protection from the disease.

Molecule Prompts Damaged Heart Cells To Repair Themselves After A Heart Attack Posted: 13 Apr 2009 02:00 AM PDT A protein that the heart produces during its early development reactivates the embryonic coronary developmental program and initiates migration of heart cells and blood vessel growth after a heart attack, researchers have found.

Gene Helps Protect Tumor Suppressor In Breast Cancer Posted: 13 Apr 2009 02:00 AM PDT Scientists have discovered a gene that protects PTEN, a major tumor-suppressor that is reduced but rarely mutated in about half of all breast cancers.

Mass Spec Technique Analyzes Defensive Chemicals On Seaweed Surfaces For Potential Drugs Posted: 13 Apr 2009 02:00 AM PDT A new analytical technique is helping scientists learn how organisms as simple as seaweed can mount complex chemical defenses to protect themselves from microbial threats such as fungus. The technique for the first time allows researchers to study unique chemical activity taking place on the surfaces of these organisms.

Sharp Increase In HPV-positive Tonsil Cancer Found Posted: 13 Apr 2009 02:00 AM PDT The number of cases of tonsil cancer continues to increase, according to a new Swedish study with diagnoses tripling since 1970. The results of the study, which mainly cover the Swedish capital of Stockholm, show that this increase is directly linked to the human papillomavirus (HPV).

Peering Into Nanowires To Measure Dopant Properties Posted: 13 Apr 2009 02:00 AM PDT Using a technique called atom probe tomography, researchers have provided an atomic-level view of the composition of a nanowire.

Childhood Obesity, Diabetes And Related Conditions Investigated Posted: 13 Apr 2009 02:00 AM PDT Factors identified early in childhood could predict obesity in the teen years and beyond, and researchers continue to assess methods to prevent and treat excess weight gain and its consequences in children and teens, according to several new articles.

Physicists Discover Important Step For Making Light Crystals Posted: 12 Apr 2009 11:00 PM PDT Researchers have developed a new strategy to overcome one of the major obstacles to a grand challenge in physics. What they've discovered could eventually aid high-temperature superconductivity, as well as the development of new high-tech materials.

Shared Equipment Can Lead To Hepatitis B Outbreaks Posted: 12 Apr 2009 11:00 PM PDT Patient-to-patient transmission of hepatitis B virus (HBV) can occur as the result of routine clinical practices incorrectly thought to be risk-free. A review of 33 HBV outbreaks has shown that the most frequent HBV transmission routes are administration of drugs using multi-vial compounds and capillary blood sampling (e.g. for glucose monitoring) using non-disposable devices.

Getting The Word Out When The Need For Speed Is Critical To Public Health Posted: 12 Apr 2009 11:00 PM PDT Researchers have developed and tested a technology that allows public health officials to abandon a traditional, inefficient paper approach to alerting the medical community about public health crises in favor of an electronic strategy to seamlessly and instantly push out information critical to patient care.

Diabetes Drug Class Linked To Vision-Threatening Complication Posted: 12 Apr 2009 11:00 PM PDT Patients taking glitazones at increased risk of diabetic macular edema, suggests a new study.

Averting Radio Spectrum Saturation, Opportunistically Posted: 12 Apr 2009 11:00 PM PDT Mobile users want better video calls, streaming television and faster downloads, placing more demands on the limited radio spectrum available to operators. Could handsets that intelligently sense their radio environment and opportunistically grab free bandwidth be a solution?

Simple Bedside Test Improves Diagnosis Of Chronic Back Pain, Could Guide Treatment Posted: 12 Apr 2009 11:00 PM PDT A simple and inexpensive method of assessing pain is better than currently used techniques for distinguishing neuropathic pain -- pain caused by damage to the nervous system -- from other types of chronic back pain. Being able to more precisely determine the underlying nature of the pain is essential to choosing the best treatment.

Odor Matching: The Scent Of Internet Dating Posted: 12 Apr 2009 08:00 PM PDT Dating websites will soon be able to compare partners in terms of whether the personal body odor of the other party will be pleasant to them. "If everything fits, you have the same interests, lots to talk about, but you can't stand their smell, then a love affair doesn't stand a chance," explains a biologist.

World-first High Blood Pressure Treatment Trialled In Australia Posted: 12 Apr 2009 08:00 PM PDT A world-first breakthrough to treat high blood pressure has been successfully trialled in Melbourne, Australia. The clinical trial showed significant improvement in blood pressure of participants who were given a new catheter-based treatment where blood pressure lowering medication had failed.

Locking Parasites In Host Cell Could Be New Way To Fight Malaria Posted: 12 Apr 2009 08:00 PM PDT Researchers have discovered that parasites hijack host-cell proteins to ensure their survival and proliferation, suggesting new ways to control the diseases they cause.

Current Drug Can Treat Rare Heart Disorder Posted: 12 Apr 2009 08:00 PM PDT New research has found that the answer to treating a rare inherited heart disorder could lie with a drug already on the market.

Hispaniola Was A Tropical Cyclone 'Target' Five Times In 2008 Posted: 12 Apr 2009 08:00 PM PDT In 2008, residents of Hispaniola experienced one of their worst hurricane seasons in recent memory. Hispaniola, the Caribbean island containing Haiti and the Dominican Republic, is located directly within the hurricane belt, and was pummeled by five tropical cyclones last year: Fay, Gustav, Hanna, Ike, and low over the Dominican Republic on Sept. 24 what would become Kyle after moving north. More than 800 people were reported dead or missing from these storms.

Effects Of Disease Severity On Autobiographical Memory In Semantic Dementia Revealed In New Study Posted: 12 Apr 2009 08:00 PM PDT Researchers studied for the first time autobiographical memory in a group of semantic dementia (SD) patients according to disease progression. They highlighted that at early stages of the disease those patients could recall recent memories, but also lasting memories from their youth which tend to disappear as dementia evolves.

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