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Newly Discovered Iron-breathing Species Have Lived In Cold Isolation For Millions Of Years Posted: 17 Apr 2009 08:00 AM PDT A reservoir of briny liquid buried deep beneath an Antarctic glacier supports hardy microbes that have lived in isolation for millions of years, researchers report in the journal Science. The discovery of life is in a place where cold, darkness, and lack of oxygen would previously have led scientists to believe nothing could survive.

Large Quantity Of Stem Cells Produced From Small Number Of Blood Stem Cells Posted: 17 Apr 2009 08:00 AM PDT Scientists have succeeded in producing a large quantity of laboratory stem cells from a small number of blood stem cells obtained from bone marrow. The team has thus taken a giant step towards the development of a revolutionary treatment based on these stem cells.

Hollow Mask Illusion Fails To Fool Schizophrenia Patients Posted: 17 Apr 2009 08:00 AM PDT Patients with schizophrenia are able to correctly see through an illusion known as the 'hollow mask' illusion, probably because their brain disconnects "what the eyes see" from what "the brain thinks it is seeing," according to researchers. The findings shed light on why cannabis users may also be less deceived by the illusion whilst on the drug.

Severe Hypoglycemia Linked With Higher Risk Of Dementia For Older Adults With Diabetes Posted: 17 Apr 2009 08:00 AM PDT Having hypoglycemic (low blood sugar level) episodes that are severe enough to require hospitalization are associated with a greater risk of dementia for older adults with type 2 diabetes, according to a new study.

Computers 'Trained' To Analyze Fruit-fly Behavior Posted: 17 Apr 2009 08:00 AM PDT Scientists have trained computers to automatically analyze aggression and courtship in fruit flies, opening the way for researchers to perform large-scale, high-throughput screens for genes that control these innate behaviors. The program allows computers to examine half an hour of video footage of pairs of interacting flies in what is almost real time; characterizing the behavior of a new line of flies "by hand" might take a biologist more than 100 hours.

Jet Lag Disturbs Sleep By Upsetting Internal Clocks In Two Neural Centers Posted: 17 Apr 2009 08:00 AM PDT New research shows the sleep disruption associated with jet lag and shift work occurs in two separate but linked groups of neurons below the hypothalamus at the base of the brain.

Clock So Precise It Loses Only One Second Every 300 Million Years: Advance Uses Colliding Fermions Posted: 17 Apr 2009 05:00 AM PDT Physicists have measured and controlled seemingly forbidden collisions between neutral strontium atoms -- a class of antisocial atoms known as fermions that are not supposed to collide when in identical energy states. The advance makes possible a significant boost in the accuracy of atomic clocks based on hundreds or thousands of neutral atoms.

Uncovering Secrets Of Salmonella's Stealth Attack Posted: 17 Apr 2009 05:00 AM PDT A single crafty protein allows the deadly bacterium Salmonella enterica to both invade cells lining the intestine and hijack cellular functions to avoid destruction. This evolutionary slight-of-hand sheds new insights into the lethal tricks of Salmonella, which kills more than 2 million people a year.

NASA's Kepler Captures First Views Of Planet-Hunting Territory Posted: 17 Apr 2009 05:00 AM PDT NASA's Kepler mission has taken its first images of the star-rich sky where it will soon begin hunting for planets like Earth.

High-dose Radiation Improves Lung Cancer Survival, Study Finds Posted: 17 Apr 2009 05:00 AM PDT Higher doses of radiation combined with chemotherapy improve survival in patients with stage III lung cancer, according to a new study.

Protein That Concentrates Carbon Dioxide In Algae Identified Posted: 17 Apr 2009 05:00 AM PDT Researchers have identified one of the key proteins in microalgae responsible for concentrating and moving carbon dioxide into cells.

Safe Exercise For Migraine Sufferers Posted: 17 Apr 2009 05:00 AM PDT Many patients who suffer from migraines avoid taking aerobic exercise because they are afraid that the physical activity may bring on a serious migraine attack. Researchers have now developed an exercise program that can improve fitness among migraine sufferers without aggravating this painful condition.

New Nucleotide In DNA Could Revolutionize Epigenetics Posted: 17 Apr 2009 02:00 AM PDT Anyone who studied a little genetics in high school has heard of adenine, thymine, guanine and cytosine -- the A, T, G and C that make up the DNA code. But those are not the whole story. The rise of epigenetics in the past decade has drawn attention to a fifth nucleotide, 5-methylcytosine, that sometimes replaces cytosine in the famous DNA double helix to regulate which genes are expressed. And now there's a sixth: 5-hydroxymethylcytosine. Biologists reveal an additional character in the mammalian DNA code, opening an entirely new front in epigenetic research.

New Clues To How Stem Cells Form Posted: 17 Apr 2009 02:00 AM PDT A study on the nematode C. elegans shows some of the first direct evidence of a process required for epigenetic reprogramming between generations -- a finding that could shed more light on the mechanisms of fertilization, stem-cell formation and cloning.

Understanding Risk To Seattle's High-rise Buildings From A Giant Cascadian Earthquake Posted: 17 Apr 2009 02:00 AM PDT What is the risk to high-rise buildings in Seattle from a giant earthquake? The Cascadia subduction zone is likely to produce the strongest shaking experienced in the lower 48 states. Although seismic activity in the Pacific Northwest has been relatively low in the past two centuries, there is a growing consensus that this fault zone ruptures in giant earthquakes (magnitude exceeding 9); the last rupture is inferred to have occurred in 1700.

More Intense Bladder Cancer Treatment Does Not Improve Survival, Study Finds Posted: 17 Apr 2009 02:00 AM PDT Despite enduring more invasive tests and medical procedures, patients who were treated aggressively for early stage bladder cancer had no better survival than patients who were treated less aggressively, according to a new study.

Chemists Uncover Green Catalysts For Industrial Chemical Processes Posted: 17 Apr 2009 02:00 AM PDT Scientists have discovered useful green catalysts made from iron that might replace the much more expensive and toxic platinum metals typically used in industrial chemical processes to produce drugs, flavors and fragrances.

Fear Of Moving Outdoors May Shackle An Older Person Home Posted: 17 Apr 2009 02:00 AM PDT Fear of moving about outdoors is very common among older people and increases the risk of developing self-reported difficulties in walking. New research shows that fear of moving around outdoors increases the risk developing difficulties in walking among physically fit older people living at home.

Mega-droughts In Sub-Saharan Africa Normal For Region: Droughts Likely To Worsen With Climate Change Posted: 16 Apr 2009 11:00 PM PDT Some droughts lasted centuries in the past, and a warming planet may make future droughts more devastating. A new study of lake sediments in Ghana suggests that severe droughts lasting several decades, even centuries, were the norm in West Africa over the past 3,000 years.

Some Orthodontic Appliances Are More Prone To Bacteria Posted: 16 Apr 2009 11:00 PM PDT Researchers have found that the majority of patients with self-ligating orthodontic brackets retain fewer bacteria in plaque than patients with elastomeric orthodontic brackets.

Largest 17th Century Bead Repository Found In Coastal Georgia Posted: 16 Apr 2009 11:00 PM PDT Nearly 70,000 beads manufactured all over the world have been excavated at one of the Spanish empire's remotest outposts, the Santa Catalina de Guale Mission that is now part of St. Catherines Island, Georgia. The bead repository is the largest from Spanish Florida and enlightens archaeologists about past trade routes and social structure of the people that lived in the mission.

Genetic Risk Factors Play Role In Autoantibody-negative Rheumatoid Arthritis Posted: 16 Apr 2009 11:00 PM PDT During the past few years, several new genetic risk factors for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have been identified. The majority of genetic risk factors identified so far have been associated with autoantibody-positive RA, which affects about two-thirds of RA patients, but distinguishing this variant from autoantibody-negative RA, which is less destructive, is considered increasingly important.

Carbon Nanotube Polymer Nanocomposites For Field Emission Cathodes Posted: 16 Apr 2009 11:00 PM PDT Scientists have discovered that you can produce a composite of carbon nanotubes embedded in a polymer that gives outstanding performance as an electron emitter material. Under high voltage these electrons strike a phosphor screen producing the familiar colours of red, green and blue and opens up the possibility of highly efficient large area field emission displays as well as possible uses as low power back lighting units in LCD televisions.

Digital Album Puts Focus On Kids' Health Posted: 16 Apr 2009 11:00 PM PDT Baby Steps is a multimedia system that combines sentimental snapping with medical record-keeping. The experimental product feels like a fun toy for parents, but researchers found in a pilot study that parents who used it regularly collected twice as much medically relevant information about their child's developmental progress.

Inbreeding Was Major Cause Of Fall Of Spanish Habsburg Dynasty Posted: 16 Apr 2009 08:00 PM PDT The powerful Habsburg dynasty ruled Spain and its empire from 1516 to 1700. Gut when King Charles II died childless, the male line died out and the French Bourbon dynasty came to power in Spain. Scientists now provide genetic evidence to support historical evidence that frequent inbreeding within the dynasty was a major cause for the extinction of its male line.

Statins Do Not Help Prevent Alzheimer’s Disease, Review Finds Posted: 16 Apr 2009 08:00 PM PDT An increasing number of studies show that elevated serum cholesterol levels might be part of the cause of Alzheimer disease, but a new review of studies says that, even so, the most successful class of cholesterol-lowering medicines will not stave off the condition.

Mars Spacecraft Teams On Alert For Dust-Storm Season Posted: 16 Apr 2009 08:00 PM PDT Heading into a period of the Martian year prone to major dust storms, the team operating NASA's twin Mars rovers is taking advantage of eye-in-the-sky weather reports. On April 21, Mars will be at the closest point to the sun in the planet's 23-month, elliptical orbit. One month later, the planet's equinox will mark the start of summer in Mars' southern hemisphere. This atmospheric-warming combination makes the coming weeks the most likely time of the Martian year for dust storms severe enough to minimize activities of the rovers.

New Tool Calculates Risk Of Bleeding In Heart Attack Patients Posted: 16 Apr 2009 08:00 PM PDT With eight basic medical facts in hand, doctors can now estimate the risk of bleeding for a patient having a heart attack. Using clinical variables, researchers have created a new method to estimate bleeding risk and help lessen the chances that heart attack patients will experience this common complication.

A Touch Of Potassium Yields Better Hydrogen-storage Materials Posted: 16 Apr 2009 08:00 PM PDT Scientists have shown that small additions of potassium drastically improve the hydrogen-storage properties of certain types of hydrogen compounds.

Prenatal Methamphetamine Exposure Linked To Abnormal Brain Development Posted: 16 Apr 2009 08:00 PM PDT A first of its kind study examining the effects of methamphetamine use during pregnancy has found the drug appears to cause abnormal brain development in children. The research is published in the April 15, 2009, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

Conserved Gene Expression Reveals Our 'Inner Fish' Posted: 16 Apr 2009 05:00 PM PDT A study of gene expression in chickens, frogs, pufferfish, mice and people has revealed surprising similarities in several key tissues. Researchers have shown that expression in tissues with a limited number of specialized cell types is strongly conserved, even between the mammalian and non-mammalian vertebrates.

New Minimally Invasive Surgery Option For Patients With Stomach Cancer Posted: 16 Apr 2009 05:00 PM PDT A novel, minimally invasive surgical approach to treat stomach cancer has been shown to have advantages that may make it a preferable treatment for some patients.

NASA Experiment Stirs Up Hope For Forecasting Deadliest Cyclones Posted: 16 Apr 2009 05:00 PM PDT NASA satellite data and a new modeling approach could improve weather forecasting and save more lives when future cyclones develop.

HIV Pays A Price For Invisibility Posted: 16 Apr 2009 05:00 PM PDT Mutations that help HIV hide from the immune system undermine the virus's ability to replicate, according to new research.

Companion Robots To Improve Elderly People’s Quality Of Life In Smart Homes Posted: 16 Apr 2009 05:00 PM PDT Researchers aim to enhance the quality of life of elderly and disabled persons by designing robotized solutions for intelligent homes.

Brain Mechanisms For Behavioral Flexibility Discovered Posted: 16 Apr 2009 05:00 PM PDT New research provides insight into how the brain can execute different actions in response to the same stimulus. The study suggests that information from single brain cells cannot be interpreted differently within a short time period, a finding that is important for understanding both normal cognition and psychiatric disorders.

All Octopuses Are Venomous: Could Lead To Drug Discovery Posted: 16 Apr 2009 02:00 PM PDT Once thought to be only the realm of the blue-ringed octopus, researchers have now shown that all octopuses and cuttlefish, and some squid are venomous. The work indicates that they all share a common, ancient venomous ancestor and highlights new avenues for drug discovery.

Gene Therapy For Muscular Dystrophy Shows Promise Beyond Safety Posted: 16 Apr 2009 02:00 PM PDT Researchers have cleared a safety hurdle in efforts to develop a gene therapy for a form of muscular dystrophy that disables patients by gradually weakening muscles near the hips and shoulders.

'Two-handed' Marine Microbes Point To New Method For Isolating Harmful Forms Of Chemicals Posted: 16 Apr 2009 02:00 PM PDT Scientists studying how marine bacteria move have discovered that a sharp variation in water current segregates right-handed bacteria from their left-handed brethren, impelling the microbes in opposite directions.

Liver Disease: It Is Never Too Late To Stop Drinking, According To Researchers Posted: 16 Apr 2009 02:00 PM PDT Where there is life there is hope and it is never too late to stop drinking, even with the most severe case of alcohol-related liver disease, according to new research. However, the downside is that up a quarter of people with alcohol-related cirrhosis die before they get the chance to stop drinking. Alcohol-related cirrhosis develops silently but usually presents with an episode of internal bleeding or jaundice - which is often fatal.

Mars Rover Spirit Healthy, But Computer Reboots Raise Concerns Posted: 16 Apr 2009 02:00 PM PDT The team operating NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit is examining data received from Spirit in recent days to diagnose why the rover apparently rebooted its computer at least twice over the April 11-12 weekend.

Prenatal Exposure To Hong Kong Flu Associated With Reduced Intelligence In Adulthood Posted: 16 Apr 2009 02:00 PM PDT The Hong Kong flu pandemic was responsible for more than 700,000 deaths worldwide in the late 1960s, with major disease outbreaks in Europe in the winter of 1969-1970. A number of studies have been conducted to determine if prenatal exposure to the influenza virus may result in mental disorders that affect a small portion of the population, but no studies have explored the possible effects of prenatal exposure on the mean intelligence in the general population.

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