ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

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• Dripping 'Blob' Under Western U.S.: A Hidden Drip, Drip, Drip Beneath Earth's Surface
• Viruses Are Sneakier Than We Thought
• Climate Change Threatens Endangered Honeycreeper Birds of Hawaii
• Genetic Testing For Breast Or Ovarian Cancer Risk May Be Greatly Underutilized
• Precise Measurement: Laser Ranging System Pinpoints Multiple Objects With Nanometer Precision 100 Km Away
• City Rats Are Loyal To Their Neighborhoods
• Oldest Evidence Of Leprosy Found In India
• Is Vitamin D Deficiency Linked To Alzheimer's Disease And Vascular Dementia?
• Stronger Material For Filling Dental Cavities Has Ingredients From Human Body
• Researchers Gain Ground In Efforts To Fight Parasitic Worm Infections
• How Superbugs Control Their Lethal Weapons
• Can We Afford The Cancer Care Of The Future?
• Microfossils Challenge Prevailing Views Of 'Snowball Earth' Glaciations On Life
• New Therapy Substitutes Missing Protein In Those With Muscular Dystrophy
• NASA Supercomputing Goes Green: Modeling Earth's Ocean Climate
• Modifiable Hip Fracture Complications Contribute To Mortality, Study Suggests
• Plant Min Protein Sits Tight And Rescues E. Coli
• Nearly One Million Californians Seek Medical Care In Mexico Annually
• Scientists Reaching Consensus On How Brain Processes Speech
• What Is The Function Of Lymph Nodes?
• Strict Maternal Feeding Practices Not Linked To Child Weight Gain, Study Suggests
• Protein Predicts Development Of Invasive Breast Cancer In Women With Ductal Carcinoma In Situ
• Fruit Fly Gene Clone 'Library': P[acman] As New Research Tool
• Preoperative Briefing Improves Communication, Reduces Errors
• Did The North Atlantic Fisheries Collapse Due To Fisheries-induced Evolution?
• Regulating The Sugar Factory In Diabetes
• Protein That Suppresses Androgen Receptors Could Improve Prostate Cancer Diagnosis, Treatment
• Blood-pressure-lowering Drugs Should Not Be Limited To People With High Blood Pressure
• Electronic Monitoring And Mapping Enables Malaria Management
• Mobile Services Made Simple
• Virtual Smart Home Controlled By Your Thoughts
• Newly Discovered Mechanism Promotes Blood Clot Formation
• Spanish Lynx Reproduction Cycle Determined By Analysis Of Their Feces
• Spread Of Malaria Parasites Curbed With Combination Of Methylene Blue And New Malaria Drugs
• Droplets Manipulated On Nanostructured Silicon Surfaces
• Understanding The Therapeutic Process Of Mother-infant Psychotherapy
• Spectacular Deep-water Coral Province Discovered Off Ireland's West Coast
• Arthritis Drug Might Prove Effective In Fighting The Flu, Study Suggests
• Brain-behavior Disconnect In Cocaine Addiction
• AM80 Blocks Early Multiple Sclerosis in Mice
• Computer-based Programs Provide Help For Smokers Trying To Quit
• Classroom Computers Boost Face-to-face Learning
• New Technique Could Find Water On Earth-like Planets Orbiting Distant Suns
• New Model Of Cancer Development: Low Vitamin D Levels May Have Role
• Protein Identified As Critical To Insulating The Body's Wiring Could Also Become Treatment Target
• Key Protein May Explain The Anti-aging And Anti-cancer Benefits Of Dietary Restriction
• Bacteria With A Built-in Thermometer: How Bacteria Measure Temperature And Thereby Control Infection
• How Does The Human Brain Work? New Ways To Better Understand How Our Brain Processes Information

Dripping 'Blob' Under Western U.S.: A Hidden Drip, Drip, Drip Beneath Earth's Surface Posted: 27 May 2009 08:00 AM PDT Geologists find a 'blob' of material beneath the US West Great Basin. There are very few places in the world where dynamic activity taking place beneath Earth's surface goes undetected. Volcanoes, earthquakes, and even the sudden uplifting or sinking of the ground are all visible results of restlessness far below, but according to seismologists, dynamic activity deep beneath us isn't always expressed on the surface.

Viruses Are Sneakier Than We Thought Posted: 27 May 2009 08:00 AM PDT Of central importance for viruses is the ability to commandeer cellular gene expression machinery. Several human herpes viruses put the breaks on normal cellular gene expression to divert the associated enzymes and resources towards their own viral genes. Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpes virus, which causes several AIDS-associated cancers, has now been shown to do this in an unexpected way, using a process that is normally protective, called polyadenylation.

Climate Change Threatens Endangered Honeycreeper Birds of Hawaii Posted: 27 May 2009 08:00 AM PDT As climate change causes temperatures to increase in Hawaii's mountains, deadly non-native bird diseases will likely also creep up the mountains, invading most of the last disease-free refuges for honeycreepers -- a group of endangered and remarkable birds.

Genetic Testing For Breast Or Ovarian Cancer Risk May Be Greatly Underutilized Posted: 27 May 2009 08:00 AM PDT Although a test for gene mutations known to significantly increase the risk of hereditary breast or ovarian cancer has been available for more than a decade, a new study finds that few women with family histories of these cancers are even discussing genetic testing with their physicians or other health care providers.

Precise Measurement: Laser Ranging System Pinpoints Multiple Objects With Nanometer Precision 100 Km Away Posted: 27 May 2009 08:00 AM PDT By combining the best of two different distance measurement approaches with a super-accurate technology called an optical frequency comb, researchers have built a laser ranging system that can pinpoint multiple objects with nanometer precision over distances up to 100 km.

City Rats Are Loyal To Their Neighborhoods Posted: 27 May 2009 08:00 AM PDT In the rat race of life, one thing is certain: there's no place like home. Now, a study finds the same is true for rats. Although inner city rodents appear to roam freely, most form distinct neighborhoods where they spend the majority of their lives.

Oldest Evidence Of Leprosy Found In India Posted: 27 May 2009 05:00 AM PDT Anthropologists have recently reported on the analysis of a 4000-year-old skeleton from India bearing evidence of leprosy. This skeleton represents both the earliest archaeological evidence for human infection with Mycobacterium leprae in the world and the first evidence for the disease in prehistoric India.

Is Vitamin D Deficiency Linked To Alzheimer's Disease And Vascular Dementia? Posted: 27 May 2009 05:00 AM PDT There are several risk factors for the development of Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia. Based on an increasing number of studies linking these risk factors with Vitamin D deficiency, a new article suggests that further investigation of possible direct or indirect linkages between vitamin D and these dementias is needed.

Stronger Material For Filling Dental Cavities Has Ingredients From Human Body Posted: 27 May 2009 05:00 AM PDT Scientists are reporting development of a new dental filling material that substitutes natural ingredients from the human body for controversial ingredients in existing "composite," or plastic, fillings. The new material appears stronger and longer lasting as well, with the potential for reducing painful filling cracks and emergency visits to the dentist, the scientists say.

Researchers Gain Ground In Efforts To Fight Parasitic Worm Infections Posted: 27 May 2009 05:00 AM PDT New findings are accelerating efforts to eradicate worm infections that afflict a third of the world's population.

How Superbugs Control Their Lethal Weapons Posted: 27 May 2009 05:00 AM PDT It appears some superbugs have evolved to develop the ability to manipulate the immune system to everyone's advantage. Scientists have discovered some processes that reduce the lethal effects of toxins from superbugs, allowing humans and microbes to co-evolve. This discovery may lead to novel alternatives to antibiotics.

Can We Afford The Cancer Care Of The Future? Posted: 27 May 2009 05:00 AM PDT When a cancer patient and his or her doctor discuss the value of a treatment option, the conversation usually centers on a consideration of the treatment's medical benefits versus its possible side effects for the patient. Increasingly, however, as the already high costs of cancer care continue to rise, a full view of the patient's welfare must also take into account the economic impact of the treatment on the patient and his or her family.

Microfossils Challenge Prevailing Views Of 'Snowball Earth' Glaciations On Life Posted: 27 May 2009 02:00 AM PDT New fossil findings challenge prevailing views about the effects of "Snowball Earth" glaciations on life.

New Therapy Substitutes Missing Protein In Those With Muscular Dystrophy Posted: 27 May 2009 02:00 AM PDT Researchers have discovered a new therapy that shows potential to treat people with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a fatal disease and the most common form of muscular dystrophy in children.

NASA Supercomputing Goes Green: Modeling Earth's Ocean Climate Posted: 27 May 2009 02:00 AM PDT Earth scientists are reaping huge benefits from research performed on NASA's advanced supercomputers. New cube-based simulations are helping to improve estimates of ocean circulation and climate.

Modifiable Hip Fracture Complications Contribute To Mortality, Study Suggests Posted: 27 May 2009 02:00 AM PDT Potentially modifiable post-fracture complications, including pneumonia and pressure ulcers, are associated with an increased risk of death among nursing home residents who have suffered a hip fracture, according to a new study.

Plant Min Protein Sits Tight And Rescues E. Coli Posted: 27 May 2009 02:00 AM PDT A protein vital for correct chloroplast division in plants is able to take on a similar role in bacterial cells, according to new research. The Arabidopsis thaliana Min protein (AtMinD) localizes in E. coli cells' polar regions keeping cell division at its correct central location, yet unlike its E. coli homologue, AtMinD does not oscillate.

Nearly One Million Californians Seek Medical Care In Mexico Annually Posted: 27 May 2009 02:00 AM PDT Driven by rising healthcare costs at home, nearly one million Californians cross the border each year to seek medical care in Mexico, according to new research. Of these, 488,000 were Mexican immigrants.

Scientists Reaching Consensus On How Brain Processes Speech Posted: 26 May 2009 11:00 PM PDT Neuroscientists feel they are much closer to an accepted unified theory about how the brain processes speech and language. Both human and non-human primate studies have confirmed that speech, one important facet of language, is processed in the brain along two parallel pathways, each of which run from lower- to higher-functioning neural regions.

What Is The Function Of Lymph Nodes? Posted: 26 May 2009 11:00 PM PDT If we imagine our immune system to be a police force for our bodies, then previous work has suggested that the Lymph nodes would be the best candidate structures within the body to act as police stations -- the regions in which the immune response is organized. However, researchers now suggest that lymph nodes are not essential in the mouse in marshalling T-cells (a main immune foot soldier) to respond to a breach of the skin barrier. This result is both surprising in itself, and suggests a novel function for the liver as an alternate site for T-cell activation.

Strict Maternal Feeding Practices Not Linked To Child Weight Gain, Study Suggests Posted: 26 May 2009 11:00 PM PDT A new study provides further evidence that strict maternal control over eating habits -- such as determining how much a child should eat and coaxing them to eat certain foods -- during early childhood may not lead to significant future weight gain in boys or girls. Instead, this behavior may be a response to concerns over a child's increasing weight. Some form of control may be necessary to help children eat well, maintain healthy weight, according to researchers.

Protein Predicts Development Of Invasive Breast Cancer In Women With Ductal Carcinoma In Situ Posted: 26 May 2009 11:00 PM PDT Women with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) who exhibit an overexpression of the protein HER2/neu have a six-fold increase in risk of invasive breast cancer, according to a new study. The results may help clinicians distinguish between DCIS that requires minimal treatment and DCIS that should be treated more aggressively.

Fruit Fly Gene Clone 'Library': P[acman] As New Research Tool Posted: 26 May 2009 11:00 PM PDT Using a specially adapted tool called P[acman], scientists have established a library of clones that cover most of the genome of Drosophila melanogaster (fruit fly) and should speed the pace of genetic research.

Preoperative Briefing Improves Communication, Reduces Errors Posted: 26 May 2009 11:00 PM PDT A short, preoperative team briefing prior to cardiac surgery -- where each person on the team speaks -- improves communication and reduces errors and costs, according to a pilot study.

Did The North Atlantic Fisheries Collapse Due To Fisheries-induced Evolution? Posted: 26 May 2009 08:00 PM PDT The Atlantic cod has, for many centuries, sustained major fisheries on both sides of the Atlantic. However, the North American fisheries have now largely collapsed. A new article provides insights into possible mechanisms of the collapse of fisheries, due to fisheries-induced evolution.

Regulating The Sugar Factory In Diabetes Posted: 26 May 2009 08:00 PM PDT Scientists believe they may have identified a gene that controls abnormal production of sugar in the liver, a very troublesome problem for people with diabetes. The liver is the sugar factory for the body -- when blood sugar (glucose) levels fall, the liver makes and releases more. In people with diabetes, especially type 2 diabetes, the liver doesn't stop making sugar when it should, so blood sugar levels can rise overnight while they sleep even though they haven't eaten.

Protein That Suppresses Androgen Receptors Could Improve Prostate Cancer Diagnosis, Treatment Posted: 26 May 2009 08:00 PM PDT A protein that helps regulate expression of androgen receptors could prove a new focal point for staging and treating testosterone-fueled prostate cancer, researchers say.

Blood-pressure-lowering Drugs Should Not Be Limited To People With High Blood Pressure Posted: 26 May 2009 08:00 PM PDT Blood-pressure-lowering drugs should be offered to anyone old enough to be at risk of a heart attack or stroke (or who is otherwise known to be at risk), regardless of their blood pressure, according to the largest analysis of blood pressure trials to date.

Electronic Monitoring And Mapping Enables Malaria Management Posted: 26 May 2009 08:00 PM PDT A Geographic Information System-driven digital map of past and predicted malaria outbreak hotspots has been used in India as part of a national control program. Researchers describe the creation of the GIS and its implementation in the malaria-stricken Madhya Pradesh region.

Mobile Services Made Simple Posted: 26 May 2009 08:00 PM PDT Researchers believe they have achieved what has remained an almost impossible dream in the wireless world: powerful mobile services that work simply, seamlessly and intuitively.

Virtual Smart Home Controlled By Your Thoughts Posted: 26 May 2009 05:00 PM PDT Light switches, TV remote controls and even house keys could become a thing of the past thanks to brain-computer interface (BCI) technology being developed in Europe that lets users perform everyday tasks with thoughts alone.

Newly Discovered Mechanism Promotes Blood Clot Formation Posted: 26 May 2009 05:00 PM PDT Researchers in Australia have discovered an entirely new mechanism that promotes blood clot formation -- a major breakthrough that will impact on treatment and prevention of heart disease and stroke.

Spanish Lynx Reproduction Cycle Determined By Analysis Of Their Feces Posted: 26 May 2009 05:00 PM PDT Researchers have just defined the reproduction cycle of the Spanish Lynx. Experts have used a method of indirect analysis based on determining the sexual hormones concentration -- estrogen, progesterone and testosterone -- in the feces of these mammals.

Spread Of Malaria Parasites Curbed With Combination Of Methylene Blue And New Malaria Drugs Posted: 26 May 2009 05:00 PM PDT In a study on 160 children with malaria, specialists in tropical medicine have shown that in combination with newer malaria drugs, methylene blue prevents the malaria pathogen in infected persons from being re-ingested by mosquitoes and then transmitted to others and is thus twice as effective as the standard therapy.

Droplets Manipulated On Nanostructured Silicon Surfaces Posted: 26 May 2009 05:00 PM PDT Researchers have studied silicon micro and nanofabrication methods, which have a large number of applications. They have found a novel nanopatterned silicon surface that allows almost limitless manipulation of water droplets. Droplet shapes can be tailored freely, and the nanopatterned surface can be made completely water-repellent. On such a surface, a water droplet bounces like a tennis ball.

Understanding The Therapeutic Process Of Mother-infant Psychotherapy Posted: 26 May 2009 05:00 PM PDT Given the documented detrimental effects of postpartum depression on infants and the mother-infant relationship, mental health professionals are anxious to understand models of best practices. This focus group study of psychotherapists, who treat mothers suffering from PPD and other mood disorders with their infants, have developed a proven process that contributes to a greater positive experience with immediate insights for the mothers to develop healthy connections between their maternal experiences and their infants' behaviors.

Spectacular Deep-water Coral Province Discovered Off Ireland's West Coast Posted: 26 May 2009 02:00 PM PDT Researchers have confirmed the existence of a major new coral reef province on the southern end of the Porcupine Bank off the west coast of Ireland. The province covers an area of some 200 square kilometers and contains in the order of 40 coral reef covered carbonate mounds. These underwater hills rise as high as 100 meters above the seafloor.

Arthritis Drug Might Prove Effective In Fighting The Flu, Study Suggests Posted: 26 May 2009 02:00 PM PDT Researchers have found that an approved drug for treating rheumatoid arthritis reduces severe illness and death in mice exposed to the Influenza A virus. Their findings suggest that tempering the response of the body's immune system to influenza infection may alleviate some of the more severe symptoms and even reduce mortality from this virus.

Brain-behavior Disconnect In Cocaine Addiction Posted: 26 May 2009 02:00 PM PDT A new brain-imaging study reveals differences in cocaine users' ability to monitor their behavior and emotions in comparison to healthy control subjects. Such impairments may underlie vulnerability to drugs and suggest new targets for treatment.

AM80 Blocks Early Multiple Sclerosis in Mice Posted: 26 May 2009 02:00 PM PDT Researchers have found that the synthetic retinoid AM80 is effective in treating early symptoms in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis (MS).

Computer-based Programs Provide Help For Smokers Trying To Quit Posted: 26 May 2009 02:00 PM PDT A new analysis suggests that Web- and computer-based smoking cessation programs are worthwhile additions to the arsenal in the battle to quit tobacco. Moreover, the researchers argue, such programs are often free, providing a cost-effective alternative to other smoking interventions.

Classroom Computers Boost Face-to-face Learning Posted: 26 May 2009 02:00 PM PDT Computers have been used for years to facilitate learning at a distance. A new research program shows that computers can also enhance collaborative, face-to-face learning and problem solving.

New Technique Could Find Water On Earth-like Planets Orbiting Distant Suns Posted: 26 May 2009 11:00 AM PDT A team of astronomers and astrobiologists has devised a technique to tell whether small Earth-like planets orbiting other suns harbor liquid water, which in turn could tell whether they might be able to support life.

New Model Of Cancer Development: Low Vitamin D Levels May Have Role Posted: 26 May 2009 11:00 AM PDT In studying the preventive effects of vitamin D, researchers have proposed a new model of cancer development that hinges on a loss of cancer cells' ability to stick together. The model, dubbed DINOMIT, differs substantially from the current model of cancer development, which suggests genetic mutations as the earliest driving forces behind cancer.

Protein Identified As Critical To Insulating The Body's Wiring Could Also Become Treatment Target Posted: 26 May 2009 11:00 AM PDT A new protein identified as critical to insulating the wiring that connects the brain and body could one day be a treatment target for divergent diseases, from rare ones that lower the pain threshold to cancer, researchers say.

Key Protein May Explain The Anti-aging And Anti-cancer Benefits Of Dietary Restriction Posted: 26 May 2009 11:00 AM PDT A protein that plays a key role in tumor formation, oxygen metabolism and inflammation is involved in a pathway that extends lifespan by dietary restriction. The finding provides a new understanding of how dietary restriction contributes to longevity and cancer prevention and gives scientists new targets for developing and testing drugs that could extend the healthy years of life.

Bacteria With A Built-in Thermometer: How Bacteria Measure Temperature And Thereby Control Infection Posted: 26 May 2009 11:00 AM PDT Bacteria are experts at adaptation: as soon as they have infected an organism, they adapt their metabolism to that of their host and produce substances which protect them from the body's immune defenses. How they do this is still unknown in the case of many types of bacteria.

How Does The Human Brain Work? New Ways To Better Understand How Our Brain Processes Information Posted: 26 May 2009 11:00 AM PDT How does the human brain process information? Researchers explore new methodologies that shed light on this age-old mystery. The human brain is perhaps the most complex of organs, boasting between 50-100 billion nerve cells or neurons that constantly interact with each other. These neurons 'carry' messages through electrochemical processes; meaning, chemicals in our body (charged sodium, potassium and chloride ions) move in and out of these cells and establish an electrical current.

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