ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

Mechanisms Of Self-control Pinpointed In Brain Posted: 01 May 2009 02:00 PM PDT When you're on a diet, deciding to skip your favorite calorie-laden foods and eat something healthier takes a whole lot of self-control -- an ability that seems to come easier to some of us than others. Now, scientists have uncovered differences in the brains of people who are able to exercise self-control versus those who find it almost impossible.

Social Separation Stops Flu Spread, But Must Be Started Soon Posted: 01 May 2009 02:00 PM PDT A disease spread simulation has emphasized that flu interventions must be imposed quickly, if they are to be effective. Researchers have shown that staying at home, closing schools and isolating infected people within the home should reduce infection, but only if they are used in combination, activated without delay and maintained for a relatively long period.

Cousin Of The 'Ice That Burns' Emerges As Greener New Way To Fight Fires Posted: 01 May 2009 02:00 PM PDT Researchers in Japan are reporting development of a new type of ice that may provide a more efficient, environmentally-friendly method for putting out fires, including out-of control blazes that destroy homes and forests.

TIP30 Inhibits Lung Cancer Metastasis, Study Suggests Posted: 01 May 2009 02:00 PM PDT Researchers in China suggest that TIP30 prevents metastatic progression of lung cancer. TIP30 is a putative tumor suppressor with decreased expression in numerous cancers including melanoma, breast cancer, and colon cancer.

Simple Lasers Used To Detect Melamine In Baby Formula Posted: 01 May 2009 02:00 PM PDT With equipment readily available to health officials and businesses, a researcher has found a way to detect trace amounts of melamine in infant formula.

Schizophrenia And Manic-depressive Disorder: Genetic Variant Impairs Communication Within Brain Posted: 01 May 2009 02:00 PM PDT For some time now it has been known that certain hereditary factors enhance the risk of schizophrenia or a manic-depressive disorder. However, just how this occurs had remained obscure. Researchers are now able to answer this question, at least for one common genetic variant: this impairs the interoperation of certain regions of the brain.

Origin And Evolution Of Planet Mercury Revealed With Multispectral Images Posted: 01 May 2009 11:00 AM PDT Using high-resolution and multispectral images, researchers have started the difficult process of determining the composition of Mercury's crust and chronicling its origin and evolution.

Bones Made From Human Skin Connective Tissue Posted: 01 May 2009 11:00 AM PDT Cartilage, bones and the internal walls of blood vessels can be created by using common connective tissue cells from human skin. Researchers in reconstructive plastic surgery have successfully manipulated these tissue cells to take on different shapes depending on the medium they have been cultivated in.

New Biosensor For Most Serious Form Of Listeria Food Poisoning Bacteria Posted: 01 May 2009 11:00 AM PDT Scientists in Indiana are reporting development of a new biosensor for use in a faster, more sensitive test for detecting the deadliest strain of Listeria food poisoning bacteria. That microbe causes hundreds of deaths and thousands of hospitalizations each year in the United States, particularly among people with weakened immune systems.

Swine Flu Or Bird Flu: Scientist Warns Of Six-month Time Lag To Manufacture Pandemic Flu Vaccine Posted: 01 May 2009 11:00 AM PDT New research warns of a six-month time lag before effective vaccines can be manufactured in the event of a pandemic flu outbreak. By that time, the first wave of pandemic flu may be over before people are vaccinated.

Why Fertilization Results In Loss Of Plant Biodiversity Posted: 01 May 2009 11:00 AM PDT Fertilized grasslands are more productive but poorer in species. Researchers have now identified the mechanisms that lead to loss of biodiversity through fertilization. The new results show that nutrient enrichment of grasslands must be more strongly controlled if plant diversity is to be preserved.

1918 Flu Resulted In Current Lineage Of H1N1 Swine Influenza Viruses Posted: 01 May 2009 11:00 AM PDT In 1918 a human influenza virus known as the Spanish flu spread through the central United States while a swine respiratory disease occurred concurrently. Researchers have found that the virus causing the pandemic was able to infect and replicate in pigs, but did not kill them, unlike in other mammalian hosts like monkeys, mice and ferrets where the infection has been lethal.

Some Vocal-mimicking Animals, Particularly Parrots, Can Move To A Musical Beat Posted: 01 May 2009 08:00 AM PDT Humans aren't the only ones who can groove to a beat -- some other species can dance, too, a new study reveals. The capability was previously believed to be specific to humans. Researchers found that only species that can mimic sound seem to be able to keep a beat, implying an evolutionary link between the two capacities.

Bypassing Stem Cells: Adult Skin Cells Turned Into Muscle Cells And Vice Versa Posted: 01 May 2009 08:00 AM PDT Researchers are now able to reprogram human adult skin cells into other cell types in order to decipher the elusive mechanisms underlying reprogramming. To demonstrate their point, they transformed human skin cells into mouse muscle cells and vice versa.

Dynamite Used To Reveal New Layer Of Dinosaur Fossils Posted: 01 May 2009 08:00 AM PDT What do you do when you have a fossil quarry that has yielded some of the most important and rarest of dinosaur fossils in North America, but the fossil-bearing layer of rock is tilted at 70 degrees and there is so much rock that not even jackhammers can get you to the fossils any longer?

Obesity Associated With Higher Risk For Urinary Tract Infections Posted: 01 May 2009 08:00 AM PDT As body mass increases, so does a patient's risk of urinary tract infection, according to Baltimore researchers. A new study assesses and stratifies this risk.

Lasers Used To Induce Gamma Brain Waves In Mice Posted: 01 May 2009 08:00 AM PDT Scientists have studied high-frequency brain waves, known as gamma oscillations, for more than 50 years, believing them crucial to consciousness, attention, learning and memory. Now, for the first time, researchers have found a way to induce these waves by shining laser light directly onto the brains of mice.

Mild Alzheimer's: Photos More Useful Than Words Posted: 01 May 2009 08:00 AM PDT Researchers have found that pictures allow patients with very mild Alzheimer's disease to better recognize and identify a subject as compared to using just words. In addition, the researchers found that these patients can rely on a general sense of knowing or familiarity but not recollection to support successful recognition.

Milky Way's X-ray Ridge: Resolving A Galactic Mystery Posted: 01 May 2009 05:00 AM PDT An extremely deep image of a region near the center of the Milky Way Galaxy has resolved a long-standing mystery about an X-ray glow along the plane of our home galaxy. The glow in the region covered by the image was discovered to be caused by hundreds of point-like X-ray sources, implying that the glow along the plane of the Galaxy is due to millions of such sources.

Gangliosides May Protect Against Parkinson's Disease Posted: 01 May 2009 05:00 AM PDT Researchers in Japan have established the mechanism by which gangliosides may help treat Parkinson's disease.

Dogs Are Aggressive If They Are Trained Badly Posted: 01 May 2009 05:00 AM PDT Many dogs are put down or abandoned due to their violent nature, but contrary to popular belief, breed has little to do with a dog's aggressive behavior compared to all the owner-dependent factors. This is shown in a new study which includes breeds that are considered aggressive by nature, such as the Rottweiler or the Pit Bull. The conclusions, however, are surprising: it is the owners who are primarily responsible for attacks due to dominance or competition of their pets.

Two-pronged Attack Works Best For Psoriasis Treatment Posted: 01 May 2009 05:00 AM PDT Scientists find that two commonly used topical treatments work best together to treat chronic psoriasis, but are not a cure.

Recycler Protein Helps Prevent Disease Posted: 01 May 2009 05:00 AM PDT Researchers in Europe have now uncovered the first step in the recycling of a crucial molecular tag which ensures the instructions encoded in our genes are correctly carried out. The study sheds new light on a proof-reading process that helps protect us from genetic diseases.

Hippocampus Plays Fundamental Role In Computing Of Uncertainty Posted: 01 May 2009 05:00 AM PDT The hippocampus, a key brain region for memory and learning, codes the degree of uncertainty of potential reward situations. New work sheds light on the way the brain extracts and processes information about the environment.

Southern Glaciers Grow Out Of Step With North Posted: 01 May 2009 02:00 AM PDT The vast majority of the world's glaciers are retreating as the planet gets warmer. But a few, including ones south of the equator, in South America and New Zealand, are inching forward. A new study puts this enigma in perspective; for the last 7,000 years New Zealand's largest glaciers have often moved out of step with glaciers in the northern hemisphere, pointing to strong regional variations in climate.

Improved Detection Of Bladder Tumors Reduces Cancer Recurrence Posted: 01 May 2009 02:00 AM PDT Making tumors inside the bladder fluoresce red under blue light allows physicians to more easily find and remove them, substantially reducing the rate at which these cancers come back, according to new research.

'Sleep Talking' PCs Save Energy And Money Posted: 01 May 2009 02:00 AM PDT Personal computers may soon save large amounts of energy by "sleep talking." Computer scientists have created a plug-and-play hardware prototype for personal computers that induces a new energy saving state known as "sleep talking." The new sleep talking state provides much of the energy savings of sleep mode and some of the network-and-Internet-connected convenience of awake mode.

Beyond Associations: Colorectal Cancer Culprit Found Posted: 01 May 2009 02:00 AM PDT Genetics plays a key role in risk for colorectal cancer, the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States. Several genetic markers are associated with the disease, but finding the biological events that lead to cancer is much more difficult. In a new study, scientists identified a common genetic variation associated with CRC risk and its functional implications, shedding new light on the basis of this disease.

Forensic Facial Composite Software Effective In Police Investigations Posted: 01 May 2009 02:00 AM PDT The creators of the EFIT-V forensic facial composite software describe how it works and recent successes with police services in the UK.

More Orthodontic Treatment Needed Among Children Born Prematurely Posted: 01 May 2009 02:00 AM PDT Children born before week 33 may need more orthodontic care than full-term children do. Premature children also have more complicated deviations in their bite.

Key Gene Allows Plants To Survive Drought Posted: 30 Apr 2009 11:00 PM PDT Scientists have identified a key gene that allows plants to defend themselves against environmental stresses like drought, freezing and heat.

Long-term Complications Of Melamine Consumption In Children Posted: 30 Apr 2009 11:00 PM PDT Children with a history of consuming melamine-contaminated milk powder are at an increased risk of developing kidney stones and other urological complications. Researchers found that melamine calculus occurred mostly in infants at six months to 18 months after consuming melamine-contaminated milk powder after birth but that the stones could be effectively managed with noninvasive treatment.

TB Vaccine Enters New Clinical Trials Posted: 30 Apr 2009 11:00 PM PDT The world's leading candidate for a tuberculosis vaccine is to enter Phase IIb proof-of-concept clinical trials, making it the first TB candidate vaccine for more than 80 years to get to this advanced stage of clinical trials in infants.

MR Enterography Eliminates Unnecessary Radiation Exposure In Patients With Small Bowel Disease Posted: 30 Apr 2009 11:00 PM PDT MR enterography is an effective tool to evaluate and guide treatment of patients with Crohn's Disease (a common form of inflammatory bowel disease that typically affects young people) without exposing them to radiation, according to a study performed at the Warren Alpert School of Medicine/Brown University in Providence, RI.

Synthesis With A Template Posted: 30 Apr 2009 11:00 PM PDT Researchers have synthesized the first example of an inorganic, carbon-free fullerene analogue.

New Doctors, Teaching Physicians Disagree About Essential Medical Procedures To Learn Posted: 30 Apr 2009 11:00 PM PDT Physicians teaching at medical schools and doctors who have just completed their first year out of medical school disagree about which procedures are necessary to learn before graduating, according to a new survey.

Ancient Egypt Brought To Life With Virtual Model Of Historic Temple Complex Posted: 30 Apr 2009 08:00 PM PDT For the past two years, a team of Egyptologists, digital modelers, web designers, staff and students has been building a three-dimensional virtual-reality model of the ancient Egyptian religious site known as Karnak, one of the largest temple complexes ever constructed.

Scientists Discover How To Improve Immune Response To Cancer Posted: 30 Apr 2009 08:00 PM PDT Scientists have discovered how to trigger an improved immune response to cancer that could be included in new clinical trials that use a patient's own cells to destroy tumors.

U.S. Shorts Critical Farm Animal Research, Scientists Say Posted: 30 Apr 2009 08:00 PM PDT Dwindling federal funding jeopardizes important animal and biomedical research, together with the institutional research programs that focus on them, a group of scientists warn.

Arm-Hand Swelling Linked To Number Of Lymph Nodes Removed During Breast Cancer Surgery Posted: 30 Apr 2009 08:00 PM PDT In older breast cancer survivors, the number of lymph nodes removed during surgery and the presence of cancer in the lymph nodes were the two factors most directly linked to the development of lymphedema, swelling of the arm and hand, according to a new study.

Cutaneous Application Of Nanoparticles Offers Hope For Treatment Of Erectile Dysfunction Posted: 30 Apr 2009 08:00 PM PDT Cutaneous application of nanoparticles may offer a new means of delivering drugs to treat erectile dysfunction, according to new findings. Topical treatments for erectile dysfunction may offer localized therapeutic results with the benefit of lower dosage and the avoidance of adverse side effects due to systemic absorption.

Safely Transporting A Preterm Or Low Birth Weight Infant Posted: 30 Apr 2009 08:00 PM PDT New guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics should eliminate one of the many stresses of bringing a preterm or low birth weight infant home from the hospital.

60 Percent Of Americans Live In Areas Where Air Is Dirty Enough To Endanger Lives Posted: 30 Apr 2009 05:00 PM PDT Six out of ten Americans -- 186.1 million people -- live in areas where air pollution levels endanger lives, according to a new report listing cities with high and low pollution levels. Nearly every major U.S. city is still burdened by significant amounts of air pollution.

Statins Alter Prostate Cancer Patients' PSA Levels Posted: 30 Apr 2009 05:00 PM PDT Beyond lowering cholesterol, statin medications have been found to have numerous other health benefits, including lowering a healthy man's risk of developing advanced prostate cancer, as well as lowering his prostate-specific antigen levels. But a new study finds that statins also can lower PSA levels in men with prostate cancer, potentially altering the results of a patient's PSA test and masking his risk for prostate cancer.

Tufted Bacteria Cause Infection In Premature Babies Posted: 30 Apr 2009 05:00 PM PDT Bacteria that normally reside on the skin of healthy people can cause serious infections in premature babies. Scientists have now found an explanation for why a certain kind of staphylococcus can attach itself to the skin and quickly develop dynamic ecosystems: the bacteria are like tufted, self-adhesive hairballs.

New Study Argues For CT Colonography As Primary Colon Cancer Screening Test Posted: 30 Apr 2009 05:00 PM PDT CT colonography allows radiologists to predict, with a high degree of confidence, whether or not a polyp needs to be evaluated through colonoscopy or removed through polypectomy, according to a study performed at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health in Madison, Wis.

First Large-scale Computer Simulation Of Gene Therapy Posted: 30 Apr 2009 05:00 PM PDT Scientists have completed the first comprehensive, molecular-level numerical study of gene therapy. Their work should help other scientists design new experimental gene therapies and possibly solve some of the problems associated with this promising technique.

Tiny Differences In Our Genes Help Shed Light On The Big Picture Of Human History Posted: 30 Apr 2009 05:00 PM PDT Scientists have developed a new tool for identifying big events in human history and pinpointing the origins of specific gene mutations. This research helps shed light on times when the human population moved close to extinction and helps scientists close in on gene mutations that make some demographic groups more likely to develop diseases such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes, among others.

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