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• Life May Extend Planet's 'Life': Billion-year Life Extension For Earth Also Doubles Odds Of Finding Life On Other Planets
• Laptops Linked To Male Infertility
• Endangered Right Whales Identified Where They Were Presumed Locally Extinct
• Low-fat Diet Helps Genetically Predisposed Animals Avoid Liver Cancer
• Jumping Genes Discovery Challenges Current Assumptions
• Don't Stand So Close To Me: Proximity Defines How We Think Of Contagion
• Maple Seeds And Animals Exploit The Same Trick To Fly
• Natural Hormone May Protect Muscle From Atrophy
• African Bird Species Could Struggle To Relocate To Survive Global Warming
• Snoring Pregnant Women At Higher Risk For Gestational Diabetes
• 'Designer Molecules' Being Developed To Fight Disease
• US Navy Culture And Workplace Leads To Heavy Drinking, Study Suggests
• Greenland Ice Sheet Melting Faster Than Expected; Larger Contributor To Sea-level Rise Than Thought
• New Way The Body Fights Fungal Infection Discovered
• Hatchery Fish May Hurt Efforts To Sustain Wild Salmon Runs
• Surgery In Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis Is Often 'Too Little, Too Late'
• Waste Disposal Protein Is Mechanism Behind Cancer Tumor Suppression
• Log On To Beat Depression: Internet-based Therapy Found Effective
• Red Wine Compound Resveratrol Demonstrates Significant Health Benefits
• Why Smoking Increases The Risk Of Heart Disease And Strokes
• 'Junk' DNA Proves To Be Highly Valuable
• Immune Cells Ameliorate Hypertension-induced Cardiac Damage In Mice
• Cocaine And Heroin Harm Placenta
• Staying Sharp: New Study Uncovers How People Maintain Cognitive Function In Old Age
• Simple Chemical System Created That Mimics DNA
• Successful Weight Loss With Dieting Is Linked To Vitamin D Levels
• Ginkgo Reduces Neuropathic Pain In Animal Studies
• Long And Short Sleep Durations Are Associated With Increased Risk For Diabetes
• Global Warming Increasing The Dispersal Of Flora In Northern Forests
• Boys With Intermittent Eye Deviation Appear More Likely To Develop Mental Illness
• Baby Stars Finally Found In Jumbled Galactic Center
• MicroRNA Replacement Therapy May Stop Cancer In Its Tracks
• Nintendo Wii May Enhance Parkinson's Treatment
• Moderately Reduced Carbohydrate Diet Keeps People Feeling Full Longer
• Caribou, Reindeer Numbers Show Dramatic Decline
• Sleep May Be Important In Regulating Emotional Responses

Life May Extend Planet's 'Life': Billion-year Life Extension For Earth Also Doubles Odds Of Finding Life On Other Planets Posted: 13 Jun 2009 02:00 PM PDT Roughly a billion years from now, the ever-increasing radiation from the sun will have heated Earth into inhabitability; the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere will disappear; the oceans will evaporate; and all living things will disappear. Or maybe not quite so soon, say researchers who've found a mechanism that doubles the future lifespan of the biosphere -- and increases the chance advanced life will be found elsewhere in the universe.

Laptops Linked To Male Infertility Posted: 13 Jun 2009 02:00 PM PDT While fatherhood might be far from the minds of most young men, behavior patterns they establish early on may impact their ability to become a dad later in life. Excessive laptop use tops this list of liabilities, according to one reproductive specialist.

Endangered Right Whales Identified Where They Were Presumed Locally Extinct Posted: 13 Jun 2009 02:00 PM PDT Using a system of underwater hydrophones that can record sounds from hundreds of miles away, scientists have documented the presence of endangered North Atlantic right whales in an area they were thought to be locally extinct.

Low-fat Diet Helps Genetically Predisposed Animals Avoid Liver Cancer Posted: 13 Jun 2009 02:00 PM PDT In a study comparing two strains of mice, one susceptible to developing cancer and the other not, researchers found that a high-fat diet predisposed the cancer-susceptible strain to liver cancer, and that by switching to a low-fat diet early in the experiment, the same high-risk mice avoided the malignancy. The switched mice were lean rather than obese and had healthy livers at the end of the study.

Jumping Genes Discovery Challenges Current Assumptions Posted: 13 Jun 2009 02:00 PM PDT Jumping genes do most of their jumping, not during the development of sperm and egg cells, but during the development of the embryo itself. The research challenges standard assumptions on the timing of when mobile DNA, so-called jumping genes, insert into the human genome.

Don't Stand So Close To Me: Proximity Defines How We Think Of Contagion Posted: 13 Jun 2009 02:00 PM PDT These results reveal that we tend to view products that are grouped close together as being "contagious." It appears that if one of the products has a prominent good or bad quality, we will see that quality as spreading among other objects which are close by, a phenomenon known as the "group-contagion effect."

Maple Seeds And Animals Exploit The Same Trick To Fly Posted: 13 Jun 2009 08:00 AM PDT The twirling seeds of maple trees spin like miniature helicopters as they fall to the ground. Because the seeds descend slowly as they swirl, they're carried aloft by the wind and dispersed over great distances. Just how the seeds manage to fall so slowly, however, has mystified scientists. In research published in Science, researchers describe the aerodynamic secret of the enchanting swirling seeds.

Natural Hormone May Protect Muscle From Atrophy Posted: 13 Jun 2009 08:00 AM PDT Researchers have found a potential new treatment for the common problem of muscle atrophy.

African Bird Species Could Struggle To Relocate To Survive Global Warming Posted: 13 Jun 2009 08:00 AM PDT African bird species could struggle to relocate to survive global warming because natural features of the landscape will limit where they can move to, according to new research.

Snoring Pregnant Women At Higher Risk For Gestational Diabetes Posted: 13 Jun 2009 08:00 AM PDT If you are pregnant and your mate complains your frequent snoring is rattling the bedroom windows, you may have bigger problems than an annoyed, sleep-deprived partner. A new study has found that women who reported frequent snoring during their pregnancy were more likely to develop gestational diabetes -- a condition than can cause health problems for the mother and baby. The study also found pregnancy increases the likelihood that a woman will snore.

'Designer Molecules' Being Developed To Fight Disease Posted: 13 Jun 2009 08:00 AM PDT Researchers are developing a new way to make protein based drugs with potential applications in stroke, vascular inflammation, blood vessel formation, regenerative medicine and tissue engineering.

US Navy Culture And Workplace Leads To Heavy Drinking, Study Suggests Posted: 13 Jun 2009 08:00 AM PDT The nature of the US Navy workplace leads to higher heavy drinking for sailors than for civilians, according to a new article.

Greenland Ice Sheet Melting Faster Than Expected; Larger Contributor To Sea-level Rise Than Thought Posted: 13 Jun 2009 02:00 AM PDT The Greenland ice sheet is melting faster than expected, according to a new study. Study results indicate that the ice sheet may be responsible for nearly 25 percent of global sea rise in the past 13 years.

New Way The Body Fights Fungal Infection Discovered Posted: 13 Jun 2009 02:00 AM PDT Scientists have discovered how the body fights off oral yeast infections caused by the most common human fungal pathogen, Candida.

Hatchery Fish May Hurt Efforts To Sustain Wild Salmon Runs Posted: 13 Jun 2009 02:00 AM PDT Steelhead trout that are originally bred in hatcheries are so genetically impaired that, even if they survive and reproduce in the wild, their offspring will also be significantly less successful at reproducing, according to a new study.

Surgery In Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis Is Often 'Too Little, Too Late' Posted: 13 Jun 2009 02:00 AM PDT A new study reveals that one of the most common conditions caused by rheumatoid arthritis is best treated surgically, sooner rather than later.

Waste Disposal Protein Is Mechanism Behind Cancer Tumor Suppression Posted: 13 Jun 2009 02:00 AM PDT Investigators have discovered that a waste disposal protein is the key to cancer tumor suppression in a process known as autophagy -- a process in which cancer cells eat themselves.

Log On To Beat Depression: Internet-based Therapy Found Effective Posted: 13 Jun 2009 02:00 AM PDT In a discovery that could lead to new treatment approaches for depression, researchers in Australia have shown that Internet-based therapy programs are as effective as face-to-face therapies in combating the illness. Patients in a clinician-assisted Internet-based treatment program experienced rates of recovery similar to those achieved by face-to-face therapy, the research found.

Red Wine Compound Resveratrol Demonstrates Significant Health Benefits Posted: 12 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT Resveratrol shows therapeutic potential for cancer chemoprevention as well as cardioprotection. Resveratrol may aid in the prevention of age-related disorders, such as neurodegenerative diseases, inflammation, diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Low doses of resveratrol improve cell survival as a component of cardio- and neuro-protection, while high doses increase cell death.

Why Smoking Increases The Risk Of Heart Disease And Strokes Posted: 12 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT Researchers have discovered a reason why smoking increases the risk of heart disease and strokes. Nicotine promotes insulin resistance, also called prediabetes, which is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease.

'Junk' DNA Proves To Be Highly Valuable Posted: 12 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT What was once thought of as DNA with zero value in plants--dubbed "junk" DNA--may turn out to be key in helping scientists improve the control of gene expression in transgenic crops.

Immune Cells Ameliorate Hypertension-induced Cardiac Damage In Mice Posted: 12 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT Researchers have found that a specific type of immune cell, the regulatory T lymphocyte plays an important role in hypertension-induced cardiac damage. The injected Treg that they harvested from donor mice into recipient mice were infused with angiotensin II, a blood pressure-raising peptide. The Tregs had no influence on the blood pressure response to angiotensin II. Nonetheless, cardiac enlargement, fibrosis, and inflammation was sharply reduced by Treg treatment.

Cocaine And Heroin Harm Placenta Posted: 12 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT Cocaine and heroin increase permeability of the placenta. Researchers have shown that exposure to the drugs causes an increase in the passage of some chemicals into the fetus.

Staying Sharp: New Study Uncovers How People Maintain Cognitive Function In Old Age Posted: 12 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT Not everyone declines in cognitive function with age. Elderly people who exercise at least once a week, have at least a high school education and a ninth grade literacy level, are not smokers and are more socially active are more likely to maintain their cognitive skills through their 70s and 80s, according to new research.

Simple Chemical System Created That Mimics DNA Posted: 12 Jun 2009 02:00 PM PDT Scientists have created a new analog to DNA that assembles and disassembles itself without the need for enzymes. Because the new system comprises components that might reasonably be expected in a primordial world, the new chemical system could answer questions about how life could emerge.

Successful Weight Loss With Dieting Is Linked To Vitamin D Levels Posted: 12 Jun 2009 02:00 PM PDT Vitamin D levels in the body at the start of a low-calorie diet predict weight loss success, a new study found. The results suggest a possible role for vitamin D in weight loss.

Ginkgo Reduces Neuropathic Pain In Animal Studies Posted: 12 Jun 2009 02:00 PM PDT An extract of ginkgo biloba shows scientific evidence of effectiveness against one common and hard-to-treat type of pain, according to animal data.

Long And Short Sleep Durations Are Associated With Increased Risk For Diabetes Posted: 12 Jun 2009 02:00 PM PDT Both long and short sleepers are at greater risk for diabetes. Individuals sleeping for more than eight hours per night may be particularly vulnerable.

Global Warming Increasing The Dispersal Of Flora In Northern Forests Posted: 12 Jun 2009 02:00 PM PDT As a result of stronger winds caused by global warming, seeds and pollen are being carried over longer distances. An increase in temperature of only a couple of degrees may increase the dispersal of plants in Northern forests and the spread of plant species into forest clearings after felling or forest fires.

Boys With Intermittent Eye Deviation Appear More Likely To Develop Mental Illness Posted: 12 Jun 2009 02:00 PM PDT Children and especially boys diagnosed with intermittent exotropia, a condition in which the eye turns outward (away from the nose) only some of the time, appear more likely to develop mental illness by young adulthood than children without strabismus (when the eyes deviate or are misaligned when looking at an object), according to a new report.

Baby Stars Finally Found In Jumbled Galactic Center Posted: 12 Jun 2009 11:00 AM PDT Astronomers have at last uncovered newborn stars at the frenzied center of our Milky Way galaxy. The discovery was made using the infrared vision of NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope.

MicroRNA Replacement Therapy May Stop Cancer In Its Tracks Posted: 12 Jun 2009 11:00 AM PDT Scientists have discovered a potential strategy for cancer therapy by focusing on what's missing in tumors. A new study suggests that delivering small RNAs, known as microRNAs, to cancer cells could help to stop the disease in its tracks. MicroRNAs control gene expression and are commonly lost in cancerous tumors. Researchers have shown that replacement of a single microRNA in mice with an extremely aggressive form of liver cancer can be enough to halt their disease.

Nintendo Wii May Enhance Parkinson's Treatment Posted: 12 Jun 2009 11:00 AM PDT The Nintendo Wii may help treat symptoms of Parkinson's disease, including depression, a researcher says.

Moderately Reduced Carbohydrate Diet Keeps People Feeling Full Longer Posted: 12 Jun 2009 11:00 AM PDT A modest reduction in the amount of carbohydrates eaten, without calorie restriction and weight loss, appears to increase a sense of fullness, which may help people eat less, a preliminary study found.

Caribou, Reindeer Numbers Show Dramatic Decline Posted: 12 Jun 2009 11:00 AM PDT Caribou and reindeer numbers worldwide have plunged almost 60 percent in the last three decades. The dramatic revelation came out of the first ever comprehensive census analysis of this iconic species.

Sleep May Be Important In Regulating Emotional Responses Posted: 12 Jun 2009 11:00 AM PDT Sleep selectively preservers memories that are emotionally salient and relevant to future goals when sleep follows soon after learning. Effects persist for as long as four months after the memory is created.

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