ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

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• Ability To Literally Imagine Oneself In Another's Shoes May Be Tied To Empathy
• New Therapy Found To Prevent Heart Failure In Many Patients
• Autonomous Robot Detects Shrapnel In Flesh
• Genetic Markers To Help Fight Diabetes Discovered
• Feather Fibers Fluff Up Hydrogen Storage Capacity
• Brain Represents Tools As Temporary Body Parts, Study Confirms
• ‘Chemical Nose’ May Sniff Out Cancer Earlier
• Early Infection And Protection Against Allergies?
• World's Fastest And Most Sensitive Astronomical Camera
• Pneumococcal Vaccine Reduces Child Deaths In Developing Countries
• NASA Lunar Mission Successfully Enters Moon Orbit
• How To Text Message And Avoid Sore Thumbs, Neck And Hands
• Large 2009 Gulf Of Mexico 'Dead Zone' Predicted
• Migraines With Aura In Midlife Associated With Increased Prevalence Of Brain Lesions In Older Age
• Link Between Light Touch And Merkel Cells Solves 100-year Mystery
• Biomarkers Predict Brain Tumor's Response To Therapy
• NASA Moon Impactor Successfully Completes Lunar Maneuver
• Less Frequent Social Activity Linked To More Rapid Loss Of Motor Function In Older Adults
• Morning People And Night Owls Show Different Brain Function
• ADHD Genes Found, Known To Play Roles In Neurodevelopment
• Vaccines From The Bioreactor: Bioprocess Increases Vaccine Yield
• Good News For Some Hard-to-treat Hepatitis C Patients
• NASA's Mars Odyssey Alters Orbit To Study Warmer Ground
• Afghani Children Suffering From Post-traumatic Stress
• Need Something? Talk To My Right Ear
• Cancer Researchers Develop Model That May Help Identify Cancer Stem Cells
• Isolated Forest Patches Lose Species, Diversity
• Exercise Improves Functional And Psychological Ability And Reduces Steroid Need In Rheumatoid Arthritis
• New Research Unravels How Proteins Help Repair DNA
• Heavy Women Have Lower Quality Relationships, But Same Is Not True For Men, Study Finds
• Geographic Profiling Works: Great White Sharks' Hunting Skills As Refined As Jack The Ripper's
• Pesticide Susceptibility In Children Lasts Longer Than Expected
• Simulation Helps Students Learn Dental Implant Procedures
• Blocking A Muscle Growth-limiting Hormone Protects Against Obesity And Atherosclerosis
• Molecular Typesetting: How Errors Are Corrected While Proteins Are Being Built
• Lack Of 'Happiness Hormone' Serotonin In Brain Causes Impaired Maternal Behavior In Mice
• Smoking Linked To Brain Damage
• Placenta: New Source For Harvesting Stem Cells
• How Big A Role Does Chance Play In The History Of Life?
• Prostate Cancer Test Improves Prediction Of Disease Course
• Hybrid Vehicles That Are Even More Efficient
• Memories May Be Formed Throughout The Day, Not Just While Sleeping

Ability To Literally Imagine Oneself In Another's Shoes May Be Tied To Empathy Posted: 24 Jun 2009 08:00 AM PDT New research indicates the way our brain handles how we move through space -- including being able to imagine literally stepping into someone else's shoes -- may be related to how and why we experience empathy toward others.

New Therapy Found To Prevent Heart Failure In Many Patients Posted: 24 Jun 2009 08:00 AM PDT A landmark study has successfully demonstrated a 29 percent reduction in heart failure or death in patients with heart disease who received an implanted cardiac resynchronization therapy device with defibrillator (CRT-D) vs. patients who received only an implanted cardiac defibrillator (ICD-only).

Autonomous Robot Detects Shrapnel In Flesh Posted: 24 Jun 2009 08:00 AM PDT Bioengineers have developed a laboratory robot that can successfully locate tiny pieces of metal within flesh and guide a needle to its exact location --- all without the need for human assistance.

Genetic Markers To Help Fight Diabetes Discovered Posted: 24 Jun 2009 08:00 AM PDT Scientists have identified five genetic biomarkers that could help lead to improved treatments, with fewer side effects, for patients with diabetes.

Feather Fibers Fluff Up Hydrogen Storage Capacity Posted: 24 Jun 2009 08:00 AM PDT Scientists in Delaware say they have developed a new hydrogen storage method -- carbonized chicken feather fibers -- that can hold vast amounts of hydrogen, a promising but difficult to corral fuel source, and do it at a far lower cost than other hydrogen storage systems under consideration.

Brain Represents Tools As Temporary Body Parts, Study Confirms Posted: 24 Jun 2009 08:00 AM PDT Researchers have what they say is the first direct proof of a very old idea: that when we use a tool -- even for just a few minutes -- it changes the way our brain represents the size of our body. In other words, the tool becomes a part of what is known in psychology as our body schema.

‘Chemical Nose’ May Sniff Out Cancer Earlier Posted: 24 Jun 2009 05:00 AM PDT Using a "chemical nose" array of nanoparticles and polymers, researchers have developed a fundamentally new, more effective way to differentiate not only between healthy and cancerous cells but also between metastatic and non-metastatic cancer cells. It's a tool that could revolutionize cancer detection and treatment, according to chemists.

Early Infection And Protection Against Allergies? Posted: 24 Jun 2009 05:00 AM PDT Allergies have become more common in the last few decades. It is still not fully clear why certain people develop allergies, but a strong risk factor is if the mother is allergic. Also, changes in life style are seen as playing a major role and several studies indicate that early exposure to bacteria and viruses may reduce the risk of allergies later in life.

World's Fastest And Most Sensitive Astronomical Camera Posted: 24 Jun 2009 05:00 AM PDT The next generation of instruments for ground-based telescopes took a leap forward with the development of a new ultra-fast camera that can take 1,500 finely exposed images per second even when observing extremely faint objects. The first 240x240 pixel images with the world's fastest high precision faint light camera were just obtained.

Pneumococcal Vaccine Reduces Child Deaths In Developing Countries Posted: 24 Jun 2009 05:00 AM PDT A new trial has found that pneumococcal vaccine is effective in preventing severe pneumonia, the leading cause of death among children in developing countries. The large scale efficacy trial – first of its kind in Asia - was carried out in the Philippines to investigate the effect of an investigational pneumococcal vaccine.

NASA Lunar Mission Successfully Enters Moon Orbit Posted: 24 Jun 2009 05:00 AM PDT After a four and a half day journey from the Earth, the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, or LRO, has successfully entered orbit around the moon. Engineers at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., confirmed the spacecraft's lunar orbit insertion at 6:27 a.m. EDT Tuesday.

How To Text Message And Avoid Sore Thumbs, Neck And Hands Posted: 24 Jun 2009 05:00 AM PDT While it is well known that excessive text messaging can result in sore thumbs, less is known about its possible effects on the neck, arms and hands. Young adults with symptoms in these parts of the body use a different technique when texting.

Large 2009 Gulf Of Mexico 'Dead Zone' Predicted Posted: 24 Jun 2009 02:00 AM PDT Aquatic ecologists say this year's Gulf of Mexico "dead zone" could be one of the largest on record, continuing a decades-long trend that threatens the health of a half-billion-dollar fishery.

Migraines With Aura In Midlife Associated With Increased Prevalence Of Brain Lesions In Older Age Posted: 24 Jun 2009 02:00 AM PDT Middle-aged women who had migraine headaches with aura (sensory disturbances, such as with vision, balance or speech) had a higher prevalence of brain lesions when they were older, compared to individuals without similar types of headaches.

Link Between Light Touch And Merkel Cells Solves 100-year Mystery Posted: 24 Jun 2009 02:00 AM PDT Light touch -- the sense that lets musicians find the right notes on a keyboard, a seamstress revel in the feel of cool silk, the artisan feel a curve in material and the blind read Braille -- truly depends on the activity of Merkel cells usually found in crescent-shaped clusters in the skin.

Biomarkers Predict Brain Tumor's Response To Therapy Posted: 24 Jun 2009 02:00 AM PDT A new biomarker may be useful in identifying patients with recurrent glioblastoma, or brain tumors, who would respond better to anti-vascular endothelial growth factor therapy, specifically cediranib.

NASA Moon Impactor Successfully Completes Lunar Maneuver Posted: 24 Jun 2009 02:00 AM PDT The Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite, or LCROSS, successfully completed its most significant early mission milestone Tuesday with a lunar swingby and calibration of its science instruments. The satellite will search for water ice in a permanently shadowed crater at the moon's south pole.

Less Frequent Social Activity Linked To More Rapid Loss Of Motor Function In Older Adults Posted: 24 Jun 2009 02:00 AM PDT Researchers have found that, among the elderly, less frequent participation in social activities is associated with a more rapid decline in motor function. The data raise the possibility that motor decline can be slowed, and its adverse health consequences possibly delayed, by supporting social engagement -- a relatively low-cost solution to a very large public health problem.

Morning People And Night Owls Show Different Brain Function Posted: 23 Jun 2009 11:00 PM PDT Are you a "morning person" or a "night owl?" Scientists have found that there are significant differences in the way our brains function depending on whether we're early risers or night owls.

ADHD Genes Found, Known To Play Roles In Neurodevelopment Posted: 23 Jun 2009 11:00 PM PDT Pediatric researchers have identified hundreds of gene variations that occur more frequently in children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder than in children without ADHD. Many of those genes were already known to be important for learning, behavior, brain function and neurodevelopment, but had not been previously associated with ADHD.

Vaccines From The Bioreactor: Bioprocess Increases Vaccine Yield Posted: 23 Jun 2009 11:00 PM PDT Vaccinations are the most effective weapons in the fight against infectious diseases. However, developing novel vaccines alone is not sufficient to win the battle and the development and manufacture of economically priced vaccines in sufficient quantities represent real research challenges. Swiss researchers have developed a new bioprocess which increases the vaccine yield by a factor of fifty compared to conventional techniques.

Good News For Some Hard-to-treat Hepatitis C Patients Posted: 23 Jun 2009 11:00 PM PDT Researchers find a new option for hepatitis C patients who have not responded to previous treatment that may be effective even for those patients with factors that make their condition difficult to treat.

NASA's Mars Odyssey Alters Orbit To Study Warmer Ground Posted: 23 Jun 2009 11:00 PM PDT NASA's long-lived Mars Odyssey spacecraft has completed an eight-month adjustment of its orbit, positioning itself to look down at the day side of the planet in mid-afternoon instead of late afternoon. This change gains sensitivity for infrared mapping of Martian minerals by the orbiter's Thermal Emission Imaging System camera. Orbit design for Odyssey's first seven years of observing Mars used a compromise between what worked best for the infrared mapping and for another onboard instrument.

Afghani Children Suffering From Post-traumatic Stress Posted: 23 Jun 2009 11:00 PM PDT Children who live in Afghanistan are more prone to developing PTSD.

Need Something? Talk To My Right Ear Posted: 23 Jun 2009 08:00 PM PDT New research demonstrates humans' right ear preference for listening. We humans prefer to be addressed in our right ear and are more likely to perform a task when we receive the request in our right ear rather than our left. Scientists have shown that a natural side bias, depending on hemispheric asymmetry in the brain, manifests itself in everyday human behavior.

Cancer Researchers Develop Model That May Help Identify Cancer Stem Cells Posted: 23 Jun 2009 08:00 PM PDT Researchers, on a quest to find lung cancer stem cells, have developed a unique model to allow further investigation into the cells that many believe may be at the root of all lung cancers.

Isolated Forest Patches Lose Species, Diversity Posted: 23 Jun 2009 08:00 PM PDT Failing to see the forest for the trees may be causing us to overlook the declining health of Wisconsin's forest ecosystems.

Exercise Improves Functional And Psychological Ability And Reduces Steroid Need In Rheumatoid Arthritis Posted: 23 Jun 2009 08:00 PM PDT Undertaking a supervised exercise program can have beneficial effects on functional status and physical function, reduce the need for daily corticosteroid and anti-inflammatory intake and improve levels of depression and anxiety in people with rheumatoid arthritis, according to a new study.

New Research Unravels How Proteins Help Repair DNA Posted: 23 Jun 2009 08:00 PM PDT A person's DNA is often damaged by a number of different chemical contaminants, and if not repaired properly, it can lead to the development of cancer and other diseases. Researchers have now discovered how damaged DNA is recognized and repaired. This could lead to improved treatment of cancer and other diseases.

Heavy Women Have Lower Quality Relationships, But Same Is Not True For Men, Study Finds Posted: 23 Jun 2009 08:00 PM PDT Associations between body mass index (BMI) and relationship quality and other partner/relationship perceptions were investigated in 57 couples in New Zealand. Heavier women had lower quality relationships, which they predicted were more likely to end. They partnered with less desirable men and thought their partners would rate them as less warm/trustworthy.

Geographic Profiling Works: Great White Sharks' Hunting Skills As Refined As Jack The Ripper's Posted: 23 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT What do great white sharks have in common with serial killers? Refined hunting skills, according to a new article. Researchers have found that sharks hunt in a highly focused fashion, just like serial criminals.

Pesticide Susceptibility In Children Lasts Longer Than Expected Posted: 23 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT Researchers recommend that the US EPA re-evaluate current standards for pesticide exposure in light of a new study finding that children's increased vulnerability to pesticides lasts much longer than expected.

Simulation Helps Students Learn Dental Implant Procedures Posted: 23 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT A realistic computer game will soon be used to help dental students worldwide learn and reinforce dental implant procedures.

Blocking A Muscle Growth-limiting Hormone Protects Against Obesity And Atherosclerosis Posted: 23 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT Knockout of myostatin, a growth factor that limits muscle growth, can decrease body fat and promote resistance against developing atherosclerosis, or "hardening" of the arteries, according to a new study conducted in mice.

Molecular Typesetting: How Errors Are Corrected While Proteins Are Being Built Posted: 23 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT Researchers have developed a model of how errors are corrected whilst proteins are being built.

Lack Of 'Happiness Hormone' Serotonin In Brain Causes Impaired Maternal Behavior In Mice Posted: 23 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT A lack of serotonin, commonly known as the "happiness hormone," in the brain slows the growth of mice after birth and is responsible for impaired maternal behavior later in life. Researchers also discovered that the presence of serotonin in the brain is not crucial for the survival of the animals.

Smoking Linked To Brain Damage Posted: 23 Jun 2009 02:00 PM PDT New research suggests a direct link between smoking and brain damage. Scientists have found that a compound in tobacco provokes white blood cells in the central nervous system to attack healthy cells, leading to severe neurological damage.

Placenta: New Source For Harvesting Stem Cells Posted: 23 Jun 2009 02:00 PM PDT Scientists have revealed a new avenue for harvesting stem cells -- from a woman's placenta, or more specifically the discarded placentas of healthy newborns. The study also finds there are far more stem cells in placentas than in umbilical cord blood, and they can be safely extracted for transplantation.

How Big A Role Does Chance Play In The History Of Life? Posted: 23 Jun 2009 02:00 PM PDT Researchers have discovered a group of closely related living species that independently repeated the different step-like changes that occurred in the major diversification of their kind during the Cretaceous Period, roughly 100 to 90 million years ago. But remarkably, this group of species arose some 80 million years later.

Prostate Cancer Test Improves Prediction Of Disease Course Posted: 23 Jun 2009 02:00 PM PDT A new prostate cancer risk assessment test gives patients and their doctors a better way of gauging long-term risks and pinpointing high risk cases.

Hybrid Vehicles That Are Even More Efficient Posted: 23 Jun 2009 02:00 PM PDT A student in Spain has designed a way to increase the energy sustainability of hybrid cars. The implementation of his idea enables a vehicle to consume much less fuel than it would with a conventional configuration.

Memories May Be Formed Throughout The Day, Not Just While Sleeping Posted: 23 Jun 2009 02:00 PM PDT Scientists have long thought that processes occurring during sleep were responsible for cementing the salient experiences of the day into long-term memories. Now, however, a study of scampering rats suggests that the mechanisms at work during sleep are also active while the animals are awake -- and that they encode events more accurately.

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