Tuesday, June 30, 2009

ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

ScienceDaily: Latest Science News


Dino Tooth Sheds New Light On Ancient Riddle: Major Group Of Dinosaurs Had Unique Way Of Eating

Posted: 30 Jun 2009 11:00 AM PDT

Microscopic analysis of scratches on dinosaur teeth has helped scientists unravel an ancient riddle of what a major group of dinosaurs ate -- and exactly how they did it! Now for the first time, a study led by the University of Leicester, has found evidence that the duck-billed dinosaurs -- the Hadrosaurs -- in fact had a unique way of eating, unlike any living creature today.

Ovarian Transplantation: First Baby Is Born With New Technique

Posted: 30 Jun 2009 11:00 AM PDT

A new technique for transplanting the ovaries of women who have lost their fertility has been developed. The new, two-step method of ovarian transplant has produced excellent results in women whose ovaries have been frozen because of cancer treatment.

New Fabricated Material Changes Color Instantly In Response To External Magnetic Field

Posted: 30 Jun 2009 11:00 AM PDT

Chemists have fabricated microscopic polymer beads that change color instantly and reversibly when external magnetic fields acting upon the microspheres change orientation. Applications of the new material include display type units such as rewritable or reusable signage, posters, papers and labels, and other magnetically activated security features, as well as environmentally friendly pigments for paints and cosmetics, and ink materials for color printing.

Four Out Of 106 Heart Replacement Valves From Pig Hearts Failed, Study Finds

Posted: 30 Jun 2009 11:00 AM PDT

Pig heart valves used to replace defective aortic valves in human patients failed much earlier and more often than expected, says a new report from cardiac surgeons. This is the first report to demonstrate this potential problem, the researchers say.

Extending The Shelf Life Of Antibody Drugs

Posted: 30 Jun 2009 11:00 AM PDT

A new computer model can help solve a problem that has plagued drug companies trying to develop promising new treatments made of antibodies: Such drugs have a relatively short shelf life because they tend to clump together, rendering them ineffective.

Darwin Killed Off The Werewolf

Posted: 30 Jun 2009 11:00 AM PDT

It was Darwinian theory that did away with the werewolf. The publication of Charles Darwin's On the Origin of Species exactly 150 years ago focused minds on a different kind of monster – ape-men such as the Yeti, Bigfoot and Sasquatch. From then onwards, werewolves were relegated to a fictional footnote.

Peer Pressure Plays Major Role In Environmental Behavior

Posted: 30 Jun 2009 08:00 AM PDT

People are more likely to enroll in conservation programs if their neighbors do -- a tendency that should be exploited when it comes to protecting the environment, according to results of a new study.

Aerobic Activity May Keep The Brain Young

Posted: 30 Jun 2009 08:00 AM PDT

Physically active elderly people showed healthier cerebral blood vessels than those who are not active.

Advanced Sepsis Detection And Management System Created

Posted: 30 Jun 2009 08:00 AM PDT

Scientists have developed and begun testing what they believe is the first real-time system for sepsis detection.

Scientists Tackle Viral Mysteries

Posted: 30 Jun 2009 08:00 AM PDT

A recent study focuses on the intersection of these two scientific puzzles, resulting in new discoveries about how one herpes virus known to cause cancer may reactivate when the infected cell senses another type of virus entering it.

Plastics From Biomass? Inexpensive Method For Removing Oxygen From Biomass Discovered

Posted: 30 Jun 2009 08:00 AM PDT

In revisiting a chemical reaction that's been in the literature for several decades and adding a new wrinkle of their own, researchers have discovered a mild and relatively inexpensive procedure for removing oxygen from biomass. This procedure, if it can be effectively industrialized, could allow many of today's petrochemical products, including plastics, to instead be made from biomass.

From Columbine To Dawson: Psychological Impact Of Mass Shootings

Posted: 30 Jun 2009 08:00 AM PDT

Time does not heal all wounds, according to a new study. Since the September 13, 2006, mass shooting at Dawson College in Montreal, Canada, 40 percent of respondents have reported mental health problems, while others experienced severe post-traumatic stress symptoms.

Birds With A Nose For A Difference: Avoidance Of Inbreeding In Birds Demonstrated

Posted: 30 Jun 2009 05:00 AM PDT

Avoidance of inbreeding is evident among humans, and has been demonstrated in some shorebirds, mice and sand lizards. Researchers now report that it also occurs in a strictly monogamous species of bird, suggesting that the black-legged kittiwake possesses the ability to choose partners with a very different genetic profile.

Key Culprits In Lupus Discovered

Posted: 30 Jun 2009 05:00 AM PDT

The more than 1.5 million Americans with systemic lupus erythematosus (or lupus) suffer from a variety of symptoms that flare and subside, often including painful or swollen joints, extreme fatigue, skin rashes, fever and kidney problems. Researchers have now identified the main trigger for the development of this disease.

RNA Snippet Suppresses Spread Of Aggressive Breast Cancer

Posted: 30 Jun 2009 05:00 AM PDT

Low levels of a tiny RNA fragment in cells are associated with metastatic breast cancer in humans and increases the aggressive spread of breast cancer in mice, according to researchers. Measuring levels of this so-called microRNA in cancer cells may more accurately predict the likelihood of metastasis, the spread of cancer to other parts of the body that accounts for 90 percent of cancer-related deaths.

Increased Levels Of Certain Cytokines And Chemokines Predict Onset Of Rheumatoid Arthritis

Posted: 30 Jun 2009 05:00 AM PDT

Up-regulation of certain cytokines and chemokines (signaling molecules involved in the functioning of the immune system) can predict the development of rheumatoid arthritis three years before the onset of symptoms, according to the results of a new study presented at EULAR 2009, the Annual Congress of the European League Against Rheumatism in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Putting A Freeze On Oscillator Vibrations

Posted: 30 Jun 2009 05:00 AM PDT

Physicists have successfully landed a one-two punch on a tiny glass sphere, refrigerating it in liquid helium and then dosing its perimeter with a laser beam, to bring its naturally occurring mechanical vibrations to a near standstill.

How Much Is Life Worth? The $440 Billion Question

Posted: 30 Jun 2009 05:00 AM PDT

The decision to use expensive cancer therapies that typically produce only a relatively short extension of survival is a serious ethical dilemma in the United States that needs to be addressed by the oncology community, according to a commentary published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

Particulate Pollution Combined With Airborne Soot Adds To Global Warming

Posted: 30 Jun 2009 02:00 AM PDT

Particulate pollution thought to be holding climate change in check by reflecting sunlight instead enhances warming when combined with airborne soot. An instrument that measures the chemical composition and optical properties of aerosols in real time has revealed that fresh soot quickly becomes coated with a spherical shell of other chemicals, such as sulfate and nitrate through light-driven chemical reactions. This lens-like shell enhances absorption of light by a factor of 1.6 over pure soot particles.

Early Heart Attack Therapy With Bone Marrow Extract Improves Cardiac Function

Posted: 30 Jun 2009 02:00 AM PDT

In a new mouse study, researchers showed that heart function improves after heart attack when subjects are given therapy with bone marrow (BM)-derived stem cells and bone marrow stem cell extract.

Amazon Conservation Policy Working In Brazil, Study Finds

Posted: 30 Jun 2009 02:00 AM PDT

Contrary to common belief, Brazil's policy of protecting portions of the Amazonian forest from development is capable of buffering the Amazon from climate change, according to a new study.

DNA Mutation That Occurs At Beginning Point Of T-cell Lymphoma Identified

Posted: 30 Jun 2009 02:00 AM PDT

Researchers have identified a key mechanism that causes chromosomes within blood cells to break -- an occurrence that marks the first step in the development of human lymphoma.

Purple Sweet Potato Means Increased Amount Of Anti-cancer Components

Posted: 30 Jun 2009 02:00 AM PDT

Purple sweet potatoes have high contents of anthocyanin, and anthocyanins have been epidemiologically associated with a reduced cancer risk.

Placebo Effects In Caregivers May Change Behavior Of Children With ADHD

Posted: 30 Jun 2009 02:00 AM PDT

Stimulant medications, such as Ritalin and Adderall, are the accepted treatment to stem hyperactivity in children with attention deficit-hyperactive disorder and improve their behavior. Now a recent review of research by pediatric psychologists suggests that such medication, or the assumption of medication, may produce a placebo effect -- not in the children, but in their teachers, parents or other adults who evaluate them.

Flu Dynasty: Influenza Virus In 1918 And Today

Posted: 29 Jun 2009 11:00 PM PDT

The influenza virus that wreaked havoc in 1918-1919 founded a viral dynasty that persists to this day, according to scientists. They argue that we have lived in an influenza pandemic era since 1918, and describe how the 2009 H1N1 virus yet another manifestation of this enduring viral family.

Novel Epigenetic Markers Of Melanoma May Herald New Treatments For Patients

Posted: 29 Jun 2009 11:00 PM PDT

Melanoma is the most serious form of skin cancer, diagnosed in more than 50,000 new patients in the United States annually. As incidences continue to rise, the race is on to find the genetic and cellular changes driving melanoma, and to devise new means of detection and treatment. In new a study, scientists have found new epigenetic markers that will help develop more effective treatment strategies to fight this disease.

Health-related Loss In Salmon Farming

Posted: 29 Jun 2009 11:00 PM PDT

New research shows that health-related loss in modern salmon farming may be systematically monitored and quantified, both in biological and economical terms.

Dual Role In Breast Tissue For Protein Involved In Leukemia

Posted: 29 Jun 2009 11:00 PM PDT

A protein known to play a role in growth of some types of leukemia appears to have a mixed function in breast cancer development, say researchers.

Researchers Publish Comprehensive Model For Medical Device Development

Posted: 29 Jun 2009 11:00 PM PDT

In an effort to increase understanding of the medical device development process and help companies execute the bench-to-bedside process of product development more effectively, researchers at have published the first comprehensive model representing the medical device development process.

The 'Virtual Watercooler' Email Cliques?

Posted: 29 Jun 2009 11:00 PM PDT

Researchers are exploring the organizational impact of 'shadowy groupings.' They are examining the impact of 'email cliques' -- the equivalent of people who gather around the office watercooler, though this time in the virtual world.

Stress Puts Double Whammy On Reproductive System, Fertility

Posted: 29 Jun 2009 08:00 PM PDT

Stress is known to decrease fertility and sexual behavior, but researchers thought this was because stress hormones lower levels of a brain hormone called gonadotropin releasing hormone, or GnRH. Biologists now show that stress hormones also boost levels of a hormone that suppresses GnRH -- a double whammy. The scientists hope it will be possible to block this hormone, called gonadotropin inhibiting hormone, or GnIH, and restore fertility.

Second Gene Linked To Familial Testicular Cancer

Posted: 29 Jun 2009 08:00 PM PDT

Specific variations or mutations in a particular can gene raise a man's risk of familial, or inherited, testicular germ-cell cancer, the most common form of this disease, according to new research. This is only the second gene to be identified that affects the risk of familial testicular cancer, and the first gene in a key biochemical pathway.

Microtubules Might Be Responsible For Some Cases Of The Neurological Disorder Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease

Posted: 29 Jun 2009 08:00 PM PDT

Stalled microtubules might be responsible for some cases of the neurological disorder Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease. A mutant protein makes the microtubules too stable to perform their jobs, the researchers find.

Knee Replacements: Pinpointing The Cause Of Infection

Posted: 29 Jun 2009 08:00 PM PDT

A new study reveals that PET scans accurately detect infections in prosthetic knee joints more than 90 percent of the time.

First Successful Use Of New Ocean Observation Technology – Investigation Of Ocean Acidification In The Baltic Sea

Posted: 29 Jun 2009 08:00 PM PDT

For the first time, scientists in Germany successfully used an offshore observing system to study environmental changes in the oceans. The so-called mesocosms resemble oversized test tubes with a length of 20 metres. They are used to simulate the future ocean in situ, i.e. under realistic conditions.

Binge Drinking Linked With Hemorrhagic Stroke In Korean Men

Posted: 29 Jun 2009 08:00 PM PDT

Frequent binge drinking -- having six or more alcoholic drinks at one occasion, at lease once a week -- by Korean men was associated with a dramatic increase in hemorrhagic stroke. It is unclear whether the results can be generalized to other populations.

Peeling Stickers May Lead To Stretchable Electronics; New Model Enables Precise Design Of Damage-resistant Materials

Posted: 29 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT

A study of stickers peeling from windows could lead to a new way to precisely control the fabrication of stretchable electronics, according to researchers.

Deep Brain Stimulation To Treat Psychiatric Diseases Reviewed

Posted: 29 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT

Pioneering therapeutic trials to investigate the effectiveness of deep brain stimulation in hard-to-treat depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder and Tourette's syndrome are underway at multiple medical centers around the world, according to a new article.

Reintroducing Bonobo Apes Into The Wild: Researchers To Monitor Progress

Posted: 29 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT

American researchers who have been studying the rare and threatened bonobo ape will lead monitoring efforts after a group of orphan bonobos are returned to the wild in the Congo for the first time this month.

How A Stroke Affects Hand Function; Roadmap For Rehabilitation

Posted: 29 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT

A person whose hand function has been affected by a stroke can release an object more quickly when the affected arm is supported on a platform, but the support does not make it easier to grip the object, a new study finds. Active muscle-stretching exercises improved how quickly the stroke survivor could grip an object, but made release of the object more difficult. These findings show how a stroke affects hand function, and provide a roadmap for rehabilitation.

Student Designs Innovative Escalator That Is Accessible To All Users

Posted: 29 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT

People with impaired mobility who move around in wheelchairs, people who are transporting bulky loads and all other users will be able to travel upwards and downwards without assistance using the innovative escalator designed by Jesús Sánchez, an industrial engineering student in Spain.

Preimplantation Genetic Screening: Polar Body Screening Study Launched

Posted: 29 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT

The efficacy of preimplantation genetic screening (PGS) has been one of the most hotly disputed subjects in assisted reproduction over the past few years. None of the trials carried out so far has shown conclusively whether it works or not. Now scientists have decided to try to find out if a novel method of doing PGS using polar body biopsy and chromosome array analysis offers a possible solution.

Obesity Clues From Research On How Burrowing Frogs Survive Years Without Food

Posted: 29 Jun 2009 02:00 PM PDT

Burrowing frogs can survive buried for several years without food or water. Scientists have discovered that the metabolism of their cells changes radically during the dormancy period allowing the frogs to maximize the use of their limited energy resources. This discovery could prove to have important applications in the long term for treating energy-related disorders such as obesity.

C-section Births Cause Genetic Changes That May Increase Odds For Developing Diseases In Later Life

Posted: 29 Jun 2009 02:00 PM PDT

Babies born by Caesarean section experience changes to the DNA pool in their white blood cells, which could be connected to altered stress levels during this method of delivery. It is thought that these genetic changes, which differ from normal vaginal deliveries, could explain why people delivered by C-section are more susceptible to immunological diseases such as diabetes and asthma in later life, when those genetic changes combine with environmental triggers.

Engineers Developing Bullet Proof Vests From Cement

Posted: 29 Jun 2009 02:00 PM PDT

Engineers are working on a new type of body armor made from cement. The new vests will combine super-strong cement with recycled carbon fibre materials to make a material tough enough to withstand most types of bullets.

Insulin Analogue Glargine Possibly Increases Cancer Risk

Posted: 29 Jun 2009 02:00 PM PDT

The risk of cancer possibly increases if patients with diabetes use the long-acting insulin analogue glargine instead of human insulin. Scientists analysed the data of almost 130,000 patients with diabetes in Germany who had been treated with either human insulin or the insulin analogues lispro, aspart or glargine between January 2001 and June 2005.

'Organic' Traffic Lights Sense Traffic And Adjust Light Timing Accordingly

Posted: 29 Jun 2009 02:00 PM PDT

Controlling road traffic in congested areas is difficult to say the least, a point to which any drive-time urban commuter might testify. An organic approach to traffic lights, might help solve the problem and avoid traffic jams and gridlock, according to new research.

Teens Who Believe They'll Die Young Are More Likely To Engage In Risky Behavior

Posted: 29 Jun 2009 02:00 PM PDT

Researchers found that one in seven adolescents believe that it is highly likely that they will die before age 35, and this belief predicted that the adolescents' would engage in risky behaviors.