Saturday, July 11, 2009

ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

ScienceDaily: Latest Science News


Down Under Dinosaur Burrow Discovery Provides Climate Change Clues

Posted: 11 Jul 2009 02:00 PM PDT

The same paleontologist who made the Montana discovery of the first known dinosaur burrow has now found the trace fossil of a burrow in Australia almost identical to the one he identified in the US. His growing evidence of dinosaur burrows provides clues to climate change and how dinosaurs may have survived extreme environments -- throwing a wrench in some extinction theories.

New Device Could Benefit Treatment Of Hand Injuries

Posted: 11 Jul 2009 02:00 PM PDT

Bioengineering students invented a device to measure intrinsic hand muscle strength. The device could revolutionize the diagnosis and treatment of hand injuries and neurological disorders, specifically carpal tunnel syndrome.

New Approach To Engineering For Extreme Environments

Posted: 11 Jul 2009 02:00 PM PDT

Composite materials such as fiberglass, which take on a mix of properties of their constituent compounds, have been around for decades. Now, a materials scientist is taking composites to the nanoscale, where entirely new properties, not found in any of the original compounds, can emerge.

Chinese Herbs May Relieve Endometriosis Symptoms, Review Finds

Posted: 11 Jul 2009 02:00 PM PDT

Chinese herbal medicine may relieve symptoms in the treatment of endometriosis. A systematic review found some evidence that women had comparable benefits following laparoscopic surgery and suffered fewer adverse effects if they were given Chinese herbs compared with conventional drug treatments.

Remote-control Closed System Invented For Inserting Radio-active Atoms Inside Fullerenes

Posted: 11 Jul 2009 02:00 PM PDT

A hands-off process for filling fullerenes with radioactive material is being tested to see if it will produce multi-modality material for better imaging and targeting of treatment of brain tumors.

Army Study Improves Ability To Predict Drinking Water Needs

Posted: 11 Jul 2009 02:00 PM PDT

When soldiers leave base for a three-day mission, how much water should they bring? New research may now provide military planners an accurate answer. The study improves an existing water needs equation by 58-65 percent. If the new formula works in the field, as expected, it could accurately predict water needs not only for soldiers, but also for civilians who work or exercise outdoors.

Newborn Brain Cells Improve Our Ability To Navigate Our Environment

Posted: 11 Jul 2009 08:00 AM PDT

Although the fact that we generate new brain cells throughout life is no longer disputed, their purpose has been the topic of much debate. Now, researchers have made a big leap forward in understanding what all these newborn neurons might actually do. Their study illustrates how these young cells improve our ability to navigate our environment.

Key Protein Can Help Cells Or Cause Cancer

Posted: 11 Jul 2009 08:00 AM PDT

Scientist have discovered a key process in cell growth that can lead to the formation of tumors. They found that an overabundance of the polo-like kinase 1, or Plk1, molecule during cell growth, as well as a shortage of the p53 molecule, will lead to tumor formation.

On Malaria Struggle, Baboons And Humans Have Similar Stories To Tell

Posted: 11 Jul 2009 08:00 AM PDT

Evolutionarily speaking, baboons may be our more distant cousins among primates. But when it comes to our experiences with malaria over the course of time, it seems the stories of our two species have followed very similar plots.

First 16-patient, Multicenter 'Domino Donor' Kidney Transplant

Posted: 11 Jul 2009 08:00 AM PDT

Surgical teams at the Johns Hopkins Hospital, Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis, INTEGRIS Baptist Medical Center in Oklahoma City and Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit successfully completed the first eight-way, multi-hospital, domino kidney transplant.

Inexpensive Solar Cells: Low-cost Solution Processing Method Developed For CIGS-based Solar Cells

Posted: 11 Jul 2009 08:00 AM PDT

Material science specialists and engineers have developed a low-cost solution processing method for their CISS (copper-indium-diselenide) solar cells which have the potential to be produced on a commercial scale.

Potential Patient Safety Risks Among Methadone Maintenance Treatment Patients

Posted: 11 Jul 2009 08:00 AM PDT

Researchers have identified potential safety risks among methadone maintenance treatment patients due to the quantity and accuracy of medical record documentation. Improved communication and coordination among substance use treatment and medical providers could mitigate and manage the potential adverse effects of methadone and interacting medications.

Robot Learns To Smile And Frown

Posted: 11 Jul 2009 02:00 AM PDT

A hyper-realistic Einstein robot learned to smile and make facial expressions through a process of self-guided learning. The researchers used machine learning to "empower" their robot to learn to make realistic facial expressions. "As far as we know, no other research group has used machine learning to teach a robot to make realistic facial expressions," said a computer science Ph.D. student involved in the research.

'Normal' Cells Far From Cancer Give Nanosignals Of Trouble

Posted: 11 Jul 2009 02:00 AM PDT

A new study of human colon, pancreatic and lung cells is the first to report that cancer cells and their non-cancerous cell neighbors, although quite different under the microscope, share very similar structural abnormalities on the nanoscale level. The most striking findings were that these nanoscale alterations occurred at some distance from the tumor and, importantly, could be identified by assessing more easily accessible tissue, such as the cheek for lung cancer detection.

New Electron Microscopy Images Reveal The Assembly Of HIV

Posted: 11 Jul 2009 02:00 AM PDT

Researchers provide the as yet closest look at the structure of immature HIV Scientists have produced a three-dimensional reconstruction of HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus), which shows the structure of the immature form of the virus at unprecedented detail.

Fruit And Vegetable Intake In Pregnant Women Reduces Risk Of Upper Respiratory Tract Infection

Posted: 11 Jul 2009 02:00 AM PDT

Researchers have observed in a study of pregnant women that consumption of at least seven servings per day of fruits and vegetables moderately reduced the risk of developing an upper respiratory tract infection.

Experts Call For Local And Regional Control Of Sites For Radioactive Waste

Posted: 11 Jul 2009 02:00 AM PDT

The withdrawal of Nevada's Yucca Mountain as a potential nuclear waste repository has reopened the debate over how and where to dispose of spent nuclear fuel and high-level nuclear waste.

Most Neuropsychological Tests Don't Tell Alzheimer's Disease From Vascular Dementia, Study Finds

Posted: 11 Jul 2009 02:00 AM PDT

Most of the cognitive tests that have been used to decide whether someone has Alzheimer's disease or vascular dementia have not been very helpful when used alone. A new report concluded that when older people are confused and forgetful, doctors should base their diagnoses on many different types of information, including medical history and brain imaging.

Map Of Your Brain May Reveal Early Mental Illness

Posted: 10 Jul 2009 05:00 PM PDT

Researchers are producing topographical maps of people's healthy and schizophrenic brains in an effort to develop the first scientific tool for early and more definite diagnosis of mental disorders such as schizophrenia. The scientists have already found differences in the hippocampus in people who have schizophrenia. Diagnosing the beginning stage of mental disorders remains elusive, although this when they are most treatable.

Stem Cells' 'Suspended' State Preserved By Key Step, Scientists Report

Posted: 10 Jul 2009 05:00 PM PDT

Scientists have identified a gene that is essential for embryonic stem cells to maintain their all-purpose, pluripotent state. Exploiting the finding may lead to a greater understanding of how cells acquire their specialized states and provide a strategy to efficiently reprogram mature cells back into the pluripotent state, an elusive step in stem cell research but one crucial to a range of potential clinical treatments.

Faster, More Cost-effective DNA Test For Crime Scenes, Disease Diagnosis

Posted: 10 Jul 2009 05:00 PM PDT

Scientists in Japan are reporting development of a faster, less expensive version of the fabled polymerase chain reaction, a DNA test widely used in criminal investigations, disease diagnosis, biological research and other applications. The new method could lead to expanded use of PCR in medicine, the criminal justice system and elsewhere, the researchers say.

Patients With Moderate To Severe Periodontitis Need Evaluation For Heart Disease Risk

Posted: 10 Jul 2009 05:00 PM PDT

Patients with moderate to severe periodontitis should receive evaluation and possible treatment to reduce their risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, according to a special consensus paper.

New Way To Make Sensors That Detect Toxic Chemicals

Posted: 10 Jul 2009 05:00 PM PDT

Researchers have developed a new method for making extremely pure, very small metal-oxide nanoparticles. They are using this simple, fast, and low-temperature process to make materials for gas sensors that detect toxic industrial chemicals and biological warfare agents.

A Biomarker For Anorexia?

Posted: 10 Jul 2009 05:00 PM PDT

Eating disorders are frequently seen as psychological or societal diseases, but do they have an underlying biological cause? A new study shows that the levels of a brain protein differ between healthy and anorexic women.

Humans May Give Swine Flu To Pigs In New Twist To Pandemic

Posted: 10 Jul 2009 02:00 PM PDT

The strain of influenza, A/H1N1, that is currently pandemic in humans has been shown to be infectious to pigs and to spread rapidly in a trial pig population. Researchers infected five pigs with the human strain of swine flu. Within four days the virus had spread to three uninfected pigs housed with the infected ones.

Link Between Migraines And Reduced Breast Cancer Risk Confirmed In Follow-up Study

Posted: 10 Jul 2009 02:00 PM PDT

The relationship between migraine headaches in women and a significant reduction in breast cancer risk has been confirmed in a follow-on study to landmark research published last year. The new study found a 26 percent reduced risk of breast cancer among both premenopausal and postmenopausal women with a clinical diagnosis of migraines.

Digging In Beach Sand Increases Risk Of Gastrointestinal Illness

Posted: 10 Jul 2009 02:00 PM PDT

Children and adults who build castles and dig in the sand at the beach are at greater risk of developing gastrointestinal diseases and diarrhea than people who only walk on the shore or swim in the surf, according to researchers.

Possible Benefit From Online Genetic Testing For Lung Cancer

Posted: 10 Jul 2009 02:00 PM PDT

As scientists continue to decode the human genome and the information becomes publicly available, private companies that offer online genetic testing are multiplying. Scientists at the National Institutes of Health were concerned that perhaps these tests posed a risk. They evaluated responses to an online test among smokers who did or did not have a common genetic variant associated with risk for lung cancer. The results raise a new set of questions, but also allay some of the early concerns.

Contaminated Site Remediation: Are Nanomaterials The Answer?

Posted: 10 Jul 2009 02:00 PM PDT

Scientists have reviewed the use of nanomaterials for environmental cleanup. The authors conclude that the technology could be an effective and economically viable alternative for some current site cleanup practices, but potential risks remain poorly understood.

Doctor's Compassion May Help Cure Colds Faster

Posted: 10 Jul 2009 02:00 PM PDT

Some cold medicines will shave a day off your suffering from the common cold, but they often produce unpleasant side effects. A new study shows, for the first time, that the doctor's empathy may be an even better way to speed recovery.

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