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• Caffeine Reverses Memory Impairment In Mice With Alzheimer's Symptoms
• Immune System Linked To Schizophrenia
• Potential New Drugs: 970 Million And Still Counting
• Controversial Cancer Stem Cells Offer New Direction For Treatment
• Many Antarctic Species Ill Prepared To Cope With Warmer Ocean
• Women More Accurate At Hammering A Nail Than Men In Good Light
• Super-size Deposits Of Frozen Carbon In Arctic Could Worsen Climate Change
• Vitamin D Deficiency Is Widespread And On The Increase
• Melons Sweetened With DNA Sequence
• Varying Reductions In Breast Cancer Suggest Hormone Therapy To Blame
• Ancient Supervolcano's Eruption Caused Decade Of Severe Winters
• Dangerous Liaisons: Bacterial 'Sex' Causes Antibiotic Resistance
• Scientists Develop Echolocation In Humans To Aid The Blind
• MicroRNAs Hold Promise For Treating Diseases In Blood Vessels
• Ultrasensitive Detector Promises Improved Treatment Of Viral Respiratory Infections
• New Mechanism For Amyloid Beta Protein's Toxic Impact On The Alzheimer's Brain
• Integrated Optical Trap Holds Particles For On-chip Analysis
• Composer Richard Wagner's 'Difficult' Reputation Unwarranted, Says Research
• Paralyzed People Using Computers, Amputees Controlling Bionic Limbs, With Microelectrodes On (Not In) Brain
• Large-scale Analysis Finds Bariatric Surgery Relatively Safe
• Once-a-month Pill For Both Fleas And Ticks In Dogs And Cats
• Rotator Cuff Treatment Provides Immediate Tendonitis Relief
• International Space Hotel Envisioned
• Psychotherapy Of Depression Changes Biological Parameters?
• Disappearing Seagrass Threatening Future Of Coastal Ecosystems Globally
• DNA Variations Linked To Brain Tumors
• Hand-held Aerosol Sensors Help Fill Crucial Data Gap Over Oceans
• New Control System Of The Body Discovered
• World's Largest Aerosol Sensing Network Has Leafy Origins
• Learning More About The Placebo Effect

Caffeine Reverses Memory Impairment In Mice With Alzheimer's Symptoms Posted: 06 Jul 2009 11:00 AM PDT Coffee drinkers may have another reason to pour that extra cup. When aged mice bred to develop symptoms of Alzheimer's disease were given caffeine -- the equivalent of five cups of coffee a day -- their memory impairment was reversed, report researchers.

Immune System Linked To Schizophrenia Posted: 06 Jul 2009 11:00 AM PDT Researchers have, for the first time, identified additional genes that confirm what scientists have long suspected -- that the immune system may play a role in the development of schizophrenia. Further, they have also identified genetic anomalies that disrupt the cellular pathways involved in brain development, memory and cognition, all markers of schizophrenia.

Potential New Drugs: 970 Million And Still Counting Posted: 06 Jul 2009 11:00 AM PDT Like astronomers counting stars in the familiar universe of outer space, chemists in Switzerland are reporting the latest results of a survey of chemical space -- the so-called chemical universe where tomorrow's miracle drugs may reside. The scientists conclude, based on this phase of the ongoing count, that there are 970 million chemicals suitable for study as new drugs.

Controversial Cancer Stem Cells Offer New Direction For Treatment Posted: 06 Jul 2009 11:00 AM PDT Researchers sort out the controversy and promise around a dangerous subtype of cancer cells, known as cancer stem cells, which seem capable of resisting many modern treatments.

Many Antarctic Species Ill Prepared To Cope With Warmer Ocean Posted: 06 Jul 2009 11:00 AM PDT Researchers subjected species found in Antarctic waters to increasing levels of water temperature to learn how well they would cope with a warmer ocean. The study shows that several of these species are already living really close to their upper temperature range, and that further increases could easily provoke serious ecological imbalances in this region.

Women More Accurate At Hammering A Nail Than Men In Good Light Posted: 06 Jul 2009 11:00 AM PDT Scientists are studying hammering ability as a model for difficult motor tasks. The results indicate that there is a surprising difference in performance between the sexes, and that this difference is dependent in turn on the hammering conditions.

Super-size Deposits Of Frozen Carbon In Arctic Could Worsen Climate Change Posted: 06 Jul 2009 08:00 AM PDT The vast amount of carbon stored in the Arctic and boreal regions of the world is more than double that previously estimated, according to a new study. The new estimate is over 1.5 trillion tons of frozen carbon, about twice as much carbon as contained in the atmosphere.

Vitamin D Deficiency Is Widespread And On The Increase Posted: 06 Jul 2009 08:00 AM PDT A new report shows that populations across the globe are suffering from the impact of low levels of vitamin D. The problem is widespread and on the increase, with potentially severe repercussions for overall health and fracture rates.

Melons Sweetened With DNA Sequence Posted: 06 Jul 2009 08:00 AM PDT People smell them, thump them and eyeball their shape. But ultimately, it's sweetness and a sense of healthy eating that lands a melon in a shopper's cart. Plant breeders now have a better chance to pinpoint such traits for new varieties, because the melon genome with hundreds of DNA markers has now been mapped. That means tastier and healthier melons are likely for future summer picnics.

Varying Reductions In Breast Cancer Suggest Hormone Therapy To Blame Posted: 06 Jul 2009 08:00 AM PDT The recent decline in invasive breast cancer in the US was significantly less pronounced in the poor and those who live in rural areas. Researchers suggest this may be due to varying reductions in the numbers of women taking hormone therapy.

Ancient Supervolcano's Eruption Caused Decade Of Severe Winters Posted: 06 Jul 2009 08:00 AM PDT Previous studies have suggested that Indonesia's Toba supervolcano, when it erupted about 74,000 years ago, triggered a 1,000-year episode of ice sheet advance, and also may have produced a short-lived "volcanic winter," which drastically reduced the human population at the time. Researchers have now found that none of the models to simulate the supervolcanic eruption initiate glaciation.

Dangerous Liaisons: Bacterial 'Sex' Causes Antibiotic Resistance Posted: 06 Jul 2009 08:00 AM PDT Some disease-causing bacteria are becoming resistant to antibiotics because they have peculiar sex lives, say researchers publishing new results in the journal Science. The new study helps scientists understand how bacteria develop resistance to antibiotics, which is a major challenge for those treating infectious diseases.

Scientists Develop Echolocation In Humans To Aid The Blind Posted: 06 Jul 2009 05:00 AM PDT Scientists have shown that human beings can develop echolocation, the system of acoustic signals used by dolphins and bats to explore their surroundings. Producing certain kinds of tongue clicks helps people to identify objects around them without needing to see them, something which would be especially useful for the blind.

MicroRNAs Hold Promise For Treating Diseases In Blood Vessels Posted: 06 Jul 2009 05:00 AM PDT A newly discovered mechanism controls whether muscle cells in blood vessels hasten the development of both atherosclerosis and Alzheimer's disease, according to a new article.

Ultrasensitive Detector Promises Improved Treatment Of Viral Respiratory Infections Posted: 06 Jul 2009 05:00 AM PDT Chemists and biomedical engineers have developed a respiratory virus detector that is sensitive enough to detect an infection at an early stage, takes only a few minutes to return a result and is simple enough to be performed in a pediatrician's office.

New Mechanism For Amyloid Beta Protein's Toxic Impact On The Alzheimer's Brain Posted: 06 Jul 2009 05:00 AM PDT Scientists have uncovered a novel mechanism linking soluble amyloid b protein with the synaptic injury and memory loss associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD). The research provides critical new insight into disease pathogenesis and reveals signaling molecules that may serve as potential additional therapeutic targets for AD.

Integrated Optical Trap Holds Particles For On-chip Analysis Posted: 06 Jul 2009 05:00 AM PDT A new type of optical particle trap can be used to manipulate bacteria, viruses and other particles on a chip as part of an integrated optofluidic platform.

Composer Richard Wagner's 'Difficult' Reputation Unwarranted, Says Research Posted: 06 Jul 2009 05:00 AM PDT The composer Richard Wagner is well-known, even notorious, for writing operas that can challenge both performers and listeners. A new study reveals that Wagner set his text to music in a way that uses the acoustics of the soprano voice in a manner that helps both performers and listeners.

Paralyzed People Using Computers, Amputees Controlling Bionic Limbs, With Microelectrodes On (Not In) Brain Posted: 06 Jul 2009 02:00 AM PDT Experimental devices that read brain signals have helped paralyzed people use computers and may let amputees control bionic limbs. But existing devices use tiny electrodes that poke into the brain. A new study shows that brain signals controlling arm movements can be detected accurately using new microelectrodes that sit on the brain but don't penetrate it.

Large-scale Analysis Finds Bariatric Surgery Relatively Safe Posted: 06 Jul 2009 02:00 AM PDT Advances in weight-loss surgery have made it as safe as any routine surgical procedure, according to a researcher who reviewed data from nearly 60,000 patients, and found it resulted in low complication and mortality rates.

Once-a-month Pill For Both Fleas And Ticks In Dogs And Cats Posted: 06 Jul 2009 02:00 AM PDT Scientists are describing discovery and successful tests of the first once-a-month pill for controlling both fleas and ticks in domestic dogs and cats.

Rotator Cuff Treatment Provides Immediate Tendonitis Relief Posted: 06 Jul 2009 02:00 AM PDT A minimally invasive procedure to treat tendinitis in the rotator cuff of the shoulder provides immediate symptom relief to the patient, according to a new study. The study found that ultrasound-guided nonsurgical therapy significantly reduces pain from calcific tendinitis of the rotator cuff, and restores lasting mobility after treatment.

International Space Hotel Envisioned Posted: 06 Jul 2009 02:00 AM PDT Plans for a new international space hotel students have been unveiled by students this month as part of a project for their Masters degree. Students had to grapple with the challenges of designing that could function in a zero gravity environment.

Psychotherapy Of Depression Changes Biological Parameters? Posted: 06 Jul 2009 02:00 AM PDT Investigators have demonstrated that the early increase in phosphorylated CREB (pCREB) is related to treatment response and does not depend on pharmacological interventions or brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) plasma levels. For the first time, cellular biological markers could be associated with response to psychotherapy.

Disappearing Seagrass Threatening Future Of Coastal Ecosystems Globally Posted: 05 Jul 2009 11:00 PM PDT An international team of scientists warns that accelerating losses of seagrasses across the globe threaten the immediate health and long-term sustainability of coastal ecosystems. The team has compiled and analyzed the first comprehensive global assessment of seagrass observations and found that 58 percent of world's seagrass meadows are currently declining.

DNA Variations Linked To Brain Tumors Posted: 05 Jul 2009 11:00 PM PDT Scientists have found a connection between DNA alterations on human chromosome 9 and aggressive brain cancer known as glioblastoma.

Hand-held Aerosol Sensors Help Fill Crucial Data Gap Over Oceans Posted: 05 Jul 2009 11:00 PM PDT Since NASA researchers began assembling the Aerosol Robotic Network in the 1990s, the worldwide network of ground-based aerosol sensors has grown to 400 sites across seven continents. The trouble is that two-thirds of the planet is covered by ocean. And aerosols -- the tiny atmospheric particles that can have an outsized impact on the climate -- are just as likely to be found in the air above the oceans as they are over land.

New Control System Of The Body Discovered Posted: 05 Jul 2009 11:00 PM PDT Researchers have ameliorated inflammation of the brain in mice caused by immune cells. A receptor they discovered on T cells in the CNS plays the key role. They showed that this bradykinin receptor 1 controls the infiltration of immune cells into the CNS. When they activated B1 in mice with encephalitis, the inflammation markedly decreased. This may unveil a new target for the treatment of diseases such as multiple sclerosis.

World's Largest Aerosol Sensing Network Has Leafy Origins Posted: 05 Jul 2009 11:00 PM PDT From his office at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., Brent Holben helps manage the world's largest network of ground-based sensors for aerosols -- tiny specks of solids and liquids that waft about in the atmosphere. These particles come from both human and natural sources, and can be observed everywhere in the world.

Learning More About The Placebo Effect Posted: 05 Jul 2009 11:00 PM PDT In a recent trial, a sample of alcohol-dependent patients received naltrexone, acamprosate or placebo for 12 weeks. While there were no differences in outcomes between treatment groups, those who believed they had been taking active medication consumed fewer alcoholic drinks and reported less alcohol dependence and cravings. That is, irrespective of actual treatment, perceived medication allocation predicted health outcomes.

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