ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

Komodo Dragons Even More Deadly Than Thought: Combined Tooth-venom Arsenal Key To Hunting Strategy Posted: 19 May 2009 08:00 AM PDT The effectiveness of the Komodo dragon bite is a combination of highly specialized serrated teeth and venom, a new study shows. The authors also dismiss the widely accepted theory that prey die from septicemia caused by toxic bacteria living in the dragon's mouth.

How Alzheimer's Robs Sufferers Of Episodic Memory Posted: 19 May 2009 08:00 AM PDT Scientists have developed new insights into how one kind of memory works. The study shows that laboratory rats have "episodic-like memory" and could open novel ways to study life-robbing loss of memory in humans.

New System For Detection Of Arrival Of Single Atoms -- In Less Than One-millionth Of A Second Posted: 19 May 2009 08:00 AM PDT Scientists have devised a new technique for real-time detection of freely moving individual neutral atoms that is more than 99.7 percent accurate and sensitive enough to discern the arrival of a single atom in less than one-millionth of a second, about 20 times faster than the best previous methods.

Cystic Fibrosis: Sodium Channel Blocker Shows Promise As Potential Treatment For CF Posted: 19 May 2009 08:00 AM PDT Cystic fibrosis patients may benefit from a new therapy that increases airway hydration, preventing the buildup of mucous, which is a key factor in the disease.

Scientists Work To Plug Microorganisms Into The Energy Grid Posted: 19 May 2009 08:00 AM PDT The answer to the looming fuel crisis in the 21st century may be found by thinking small, microscopic in fact. Microscopic organisms from bacteria and cyanobacteria, to fungi and microalgae, are biological factories that are proving to be efficient sources of inexpensive, environmentally friendly biofuels that can serve as alternatives to oil, according to new research.

Achieving Fame, Wealth And Beauty Are Psychological Dead Ends, Study Says Posted: 19 May 2009 08:00 AM PDT If you think having loads of money, fetching looks, or the admiration of many will improve your life -- think again. A new study demonstrates that progress on these fronts can actually make a person less happy.

Insight Into Evolution Of First Flowers Posted: 19 May 2009 05:00 AM PDT Charles Darwin described the sudden origin of flowering plants about 130 million years ago as an abominable mystery, one that scientists have yet to solve. But a new study is helping shed light on the mystery with information about what the first flowers looked like and how they evolved from nonflowering plants.

New Procedure Alleviates Symptoms In People With Severe Asthma, Study Shows Posted: 19 May 2009 05:00 AM PDT A new drug-free treatment for asthma has been shown to be effective in an international study of patients with severe, uncontrolled asthma. Conducted at 30 sites around the world, the trial tested a procedure designed to reduce the ability of the lung's airways to contract and interfere with breathing.

New Tool Isolates RNA Within Specific Cells Posted: 19 May 2009 05:00 AM PDT Biologists, using fruit flies, have created a way to isolate RNA from specific cells, opening a new window on how gene expression drives normal development and disease-causing breakdowns.

Temporary Transient Heart Dysfunction Found In Some Long-distance Runners Posted: 19 May 2009 05:00 AM PDT A new study using advanced cardiac imaging technology indicates that cardiac abnormalities experienced by some marathon runners following competition are temporary, and do not result in damage to the heart muscle. The study marked the first use of cardiac magnetic resonance imaging, or CMR, in a post-marathon setting.

Third Dimensional Viewing For Mobile Phones Posted: 19 May 2009 05:00 AM PDT Three-dimensional viewing has not yet made it in a big way onto our television and cinema screens. According to European researchers, the story of 3-D TV is set to be quite different with mobile devices, as the right standards and technology fall into place.

Babies Born To Native High-altitude Mothers Have Decreased Risk Of Low Birth Weight Posted: 19 May 2009 05:00 AM PDT Pregnant women who are indigenous to the Andes Mountains deliver more blood and oxygen to their fetuses at high altitude than do women of European descent. The study helps explain why babies of Andean descent born at high altitude weigh more than European babies born at low altitude.

Artificial Skin Manufactured In Fully Automated Process Posted: 19 May 2009 02:00 AM PDT There is an increasing demand for skin. Manufacturers of pharmaceuticals, chemicals, cosmetics and medical engineering products need it in order to test the compatibility of their products with human skin. Scientists can now manufacture artificial skin in a fully automated process.

Disruption Of Immune-system Pathway Key Step In Cancer Progression, Study Shows Posted: 19 May 2009 02:00 AM PDT Human immune cells communicate constantly with one another as they coordinate to fight off infection and other threats. Now researchers have shown that muffling a key voice in this conversational patter is an early step in the progression of human cancers.

From Greenhouse To Ice House: Important Role Of The Indonesian Gateway Suggested Posted: 19 May 2009 02:00 AM PDT One of the mysteries of the Earth's history is the fundamental climate change in the Mid Pliocene, about 3.5-2.5 million years ago. By that time warm climate conditions ended and the ice caps in the northern hemisphere developed. Investigations by marines scientists suggest that changes in the Indonesian throughflow might have been the determining process for this fundamental climate change.

Increasing ICS Compliance: The Voice May Be Recorded, But The Results Are Real Posted: 19 May 2009 02:00 AM PDT Automated phone calling may help physicians solve a perennial problem: patients who don't take medicine prescribed for chronic health conditions.

Early And Network-oriented Care May Help Adolescents At Risk Of Developing Psychosis Posted: 19 May 2009 02:00 AM PDT Family- and network-oriented, stress-reducing care improves level of overall functioning and mental health in adolescents at risk of developing psychosis, suggests a recent Finnish study.

Mockingbirds -- No Bird Brains -- Can Recognize A Face In A Crowd Posted: 18 May 2009 11:00 PM PDT Biologists are reporting that mockingbirds recognize and remember people whom the birds perceive as threatening their nests. If the white-and-grey songbirds common in cities and towns throughout the Southeast spot their unwelcome guests, they screech, dive bomb and even sometimes graze the visitors' heads -- while ignoring other passers-by or nearby strangers.

Women More Susceptible To Harmful Effects Of Smoking, Study Finds Posted: 18 May 2009 11:00 PM PDT Women may be more susceptible to the lung damaging effects of smoking than men, according to a study of COPD patients in Norway.

Solid Lipid Nanoparticles Could Be Used In Gene Therapy Posted: 18 May 2009 11:00 PM PDT Gene therapy offers hope in treating diseases such as cystic fibrosis and disorders of the retina, as well as with more common illnesses such as AIDS, cancer and neurodegenerative diseases (for example, Parkinson's or Alzheimer's). Now, a researcher in Spain has come up with a new approach that uses solid lipid nanoparticles to deliver therapeutic genes.

Immunohistochemistry Tests Distinguish Breast Cancer Subtypes Posted: 18 May 2009 11:00 PM PDT A panel of four immunohistochemistry tests can distinguish luminal A and B breast cancer subtypes.

Enabling Graphene-based Technology Via Chemical Functionalization Posted: 18 May 2009 11:00 PM PDT Graphene has attracted significant attention due to its potential use in high-performance electronics, sensors and alternative energy devices such as solar cells. While the physics of graphene has been thoroughly explored, chemical functionalization of graphene has proven to be elusive. Now researchers have identified conditions for chemically functionalizing graphene with the organic semiconductor perylene-3,4,9,10-tetracarboxylic-dianhydride. The chemistry's stability and uniformity suggest that it can be used as a platform for many device applications.

Web-based, Self-help Intervention Can Aid Problem Drinkers In The Privacy Of Their Homes Posted: 18 May 2009 11:00 PM PDT Problem drinking in Western societies leads to disease and death, as well as social and economic problems. Few problem drinkers seek treatment help. New findings show that a 24/7 free-access, anonymous, interactive, and Web-based self-help intervention can aid problem drinkers in the privacy of their own homes.

Natural Petroleum Seeps Release Equivalent Of Up To 80 Exxon Valdez Oil Spills Posted: 18 May 2009 08:00 PM PDT Twenty years ago, the oil tanker Exxon Valdez was exiting Alaska's Prince William Sound when it struck a reef in the middle of the night. What happened next is considered one of the nation's worst environmental disasters: 10.8 million gallons of crude oil spilled into the pristine Alaskan waters, eventually covering 11,000 square miles of ocean. Now, imagine 8 to 80 times the amount of oil spilled in the Exxon Valdez accident. According to new research, that's how much oil has made its way into sediments offshore from petroleum seeps near Coal Oil Point in the Santa Barbara Channel.

Veterinarians At High Risk For Viral, Bacterial Infections From Animals Posted: 18 May 2009 08:00 PM PDT The recent H1N1 influenza epidemic raises questions about how animal viruses move to human populations. While there is no evidence veterinarians had a direct role in the current H1N1 epidemic, a new report finds veterinarians at markedly increased risk of infection with viruses and bacteria that can infect both animals and humans.

Move Any Mountain: New Research Tracks Track Snowmelt Accurately Posted: 18 May 2009 08:00 PM PDT Water is constantly being moved about our planet. The water, or hydrologic, cycle describes how water changes from liquid to solid to vapor and how it is stored in a variety of places: under the ground, in the atmosphere and ocean and in the form of ice and snow. Thanks to new research from NASA, it is now easier to accurately track snowmelt -- water from snowpacks that melt in spring -- in mountainous regions.

Chemotherapy Improves Survival Among Older Breast Cancer Patients Posted: 18 May 2009 08:00 PM PDT Chemotherapy in addition to surgery or surgery and radiation improves survival among older women with breast cancer.

Supercomputer Huygens Beats Professional Human Players In Game Of Go, Sets New World Record Posted: 18 May 2009 08:00 PM PDT At the Taiwan Open 2009, the Dutch national supercomputer Huygens defeated two human Go professionals in an official match. This is the second victory of Huygens playing Go against professional players.

Cognition Already Seriously Impaired In First Episode Of Schizophrenia Posted: 18 May 2009 08:00 PM PDT Significant and widespread cognitive problems appear to exist in schizophrenia in its earliest phase, making it very hard for people with the disorder to work, study or be social, according to a new study.

Fossil Of 'Giant' Shrew Nearly One Million Years Old Found In Spain Posted: 18 May 2009 05:00 PM PDT Analyses of the fossilized remains of the jaws and teeth of a shrew discovered in Spain have shown this to be a new species. The extinct animal had red teeth, was large in size compared with mammals of the same family, and was more closely related to Asian than European shrews.

Monitoring Water Through A Snake's Eyes Posted: 18 May 2009 05:00 PM PDT Although most Americans take the safety of their drinking water for granted, ordinary tap water can become contaminated within minutes, according to one researcher.

New Tool Can Help Predict Risk Of Alzheimer's In Elderly Posted: 18 May 2009 05:00 PM PDT A new tool can help predict whether people age 65 and older have a high risk of developing Alzheimer's disease.

Genome-wide Insights Into Patterns Of The World's Human Population Structures Posted: 18 May 2009 05:00 PM PDT Through sophisticated statistical analysis and advanced computer simulations, researchers are learning in greater detail about the genomic signatures of human population structures around the world. Looking at seven continental groups -- Africa, America, Central and Southeast Asia, East Asia, Europe, Middle East and Oceania, they found 18 axes of variation, some of which distinguished particular populations. They found variation patterns that correlated with geography in nearly every continental group.

Early Alzheimer's Diagnosis Offers Large Social, Fiscal Benefits Posted: 18 May 2009 05:00 PM PDT Early diagnosis and treatment of Alzheimer's disease could save millions or even billions of dollars while simultaneously improving care, according to new work.

Air-fueled Battery Could Last Up To 10 Times Longer: Ground-breaking Technology For Electric Cars Posted: 18 May 2009 02:00 PM PDT A new type of air-fueled battery could give up to ten times the energy storage of designs currently available. This step-change in capacity could pave the way for a new generation of electric cars, mobile phones and laptops.

HIV Vaccine From Engineered Plants: Mice Form Antibodies Against HIV Protein Posted: 18 May 2009 02:00 PM PDT Researchers in Sweden have succeeded in changing the genes in plants so they can function as a vaccine against HIV. Through gene modification the plants have acquired the capacity to produce a protein that is part of the virus, and the project has taken a giant step forward in that mice that have been fed the plants have reacted and formed antibodies against the protein.

Fast And Efficient As Soon As They Are Dead: Jellyfish-like Creatures May Play Major Role In The Marine Carbon Transport System Posted: 18 May 2009 02:00 PM PDT As a fast and efficient means of transport, jellyfish-like organisms could play a major role in the marine carbon cycle. Marine biologists report that dead bodies of the marine organism Pyrosoma atlanticum may be transporting much more carbon to the seafloor than phytoplankton or other jellyfish-like creatures.

Influenza Pandemic Planning Needed To Assure Adequate Care For Pregnant Women And Newborns Posted: 18 May 2009 02:00 PM PDT Pregnant women and newborns are at greatest risk in a flu epidemic, but more planning must be done to ensure that they receive priority treatment should an outbreak occur, according to a new study. The findings raise concerns about the ability of hospitals to adequately treat this vulnerable population, particularly in light of the current H1N1 flu outbreak.

New Tool For Next-generation Cancer Treatments Using Nanodiamonds Posted: 18 May 2009 02:00 PM PDT A research team at Northwestern University has demonstrated use of a Nanofountain Probe that can precisely deliver tiny doses of drug-carrying nanomaterials to individual cells.

Early Childhood Health Interventions Could Save Billions In Health Costs Later In Life Posted: 18 May 2009 02:00 PM PDT Promoting the health of young children, before five years of age, could save society up to $65 billion in future health care costs, according to an examination of childhood health.

Genetic Links To Age Of First Menstrual Period And Menopause Found Posted: 18 May 2009 11:00 AM PDT Newly identified gene variants associated with the age at which females experience their first menstrual period and the onset of menopause may help shed light on the prevention of breast and endometrial cancer, osteoporosis, and cardiovascular disease.

Of Traffic Jams, Beach Sands And The Zero-temperature Jamming Transition Posted: 18 May 2009 11:00 AM PDT Researchers have created an experimental and computer model to study how jamming, the physical process in which collections of particles are crammed together to behave as solids, might affect the behavior of systems in which thermal motion is important, such as molecules in a glass.

Implanted Cardioverter Defribillators (ICDs) Extend Lives Of Heart Attack Survivors By An Entire Year: Study Posted: 18 May 2009 11:00 AM PDT A landmark follow-up study found that heart attack survivors who receive implanted cardioverter defribillators (ICDs) live longer the longer they have them, according to the results of late-breaking clinical trial.

Fish Poisoning May Be Why Polynesians Left Paradise Posted: 18 May 2009 11:00 AM PDT Fish poisoning, or ciguatera could be the reason that New Zealand, Easter Island and, possibly, Hawaii in the 11th to 15th centuries became colonized by masses of migrating Polynesians.

Obituary Photos Suggest Growing Bias Against Aging Faces Posted: 18 May 2009 11:00 AM PDT A new study that looked at obituary photographs published in one metropolitan newspaper suggests that Americans may have become more biased toward youthful appearance, particularly for women. The study found that the number of obituary photographs showing the deceased at a much younger age than when he or she died more than doubled between 1967 and 1997.

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