ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

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• California's Channel Islands Hold Evidence Of Clovis-age Comets
• C. Difficile Spores Spread Superbug
• Green Tea: Mixed Reviews For Cancer Prevention
• Genetic Variation Associated With Survival Advantage In African-Americans With HIV
• Overfishing And Evolution: Fish Fear Their Census-takers
• Starve A Fever, Feed A Cold, Don't Be Stressed
• Growing Sea Lamprey Embryos Dramatically Alter Genomes, Discard Millions Of Units Of DNA
• Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Repair Heart, Study Shows
• New Target For Tailored Antibiotics Discovered
• Clotting In Veins Close To Skin May Be Associated With More Dangerous Deep-vein Blood Clots
• Spaced Out Trees Reduce Urban Pollution
• Nature? Nurture? Child Development Scientists Say Neither
• Object Hits Jupiter, New NASA Images Indicate
• Genes Linked To Chemoresistance Identified
• Minerals On Mars Influence Measuring Of Its Temperature
• Studies Shed Light On Preserving Fertility Among Cancer Patients
• Wolf Reintroduction Proposed In Scottish Highland Test Case
• The Sounds Of Learning: Studying The Impact Of Music On Children With Autism
• Extreme Survival: Genes Let Creepy-crawly Creatures Survive Deep Freeze
• Immunotherapy Linked To Lower Risk Of Alzheimer's Disease
• Bacterial Quorum Sensing: A Matter Of Density, Not Quantity
• Earlier HIV Antiviral Treatment Can Be Cost Effective In Areas Of Limited Resources, South African Study Finds
• H1N1 Influenza Pandemic Modeling For Public Health Action
• Pregnancy Complications Are A Stress Test For Future Maternal Health And Pregnancies
• Babies Understand Dogs, Bark-matching Study Finds
• Gene Linked To Increasingly Common Type Of Blood Cancer
• Virtually Engineering Power Plants
• Alzheimer's Drug Increases Toxic Beta Amyloid In Brain, But Still Provides Benefits
• Slotted Buses Keep Passengers Cool: Improving Bus Design Cools Passengers, Saves Fuel
• Social Support Buffers Adolescent Depression After Terrorist Attacks
• Researchers Help Crack Parasite Genome, Identify Drug Leads
• Fist-sized Tumor From Brain With Help Of New 3-D Brain Mapping
• Potential Failure Of Oral Contraceptives With Obese Women Explained
• Not 'Genomic Junk' After All: LincRNAs Have Global Role In Genome Regulation
• 'Heart Healthy' Diet And Ongoing, Moderate Physical Activity May Protect Against Cognitive Decline
• Radioactive Material From Dying Supernova May Have Spawned Our Solar System
• New Strategy In Tumor Treatment
• Edible Coating Makes Fish Fillets Longer-lasting, Healthier
• Ticking Bomb: Novel Procedure Treats High-risk Aortic Aneurysms
• Program For Cyber Security 'Neighborhood Watch' Developed
• Study Calls For New Approach To Teaching English As A Lingua Franca
• Risk Of Huge Pacific Ocean Tsunami On West Coast Of America Greater Than Previously Thought
• Children's IQ Can Be Affected By Mother's Exposure To Urban Air Pollutants, Study Suggests
• Sweet, Salty, Sour, Bitter And Umami: Variants Of 'Umami' Taste Receptor Contribute To Our Individualized Flavor Worlds
• How Flu Damages Lung Tissue
• University Has Grand Designs To Build A House Of Straw
• Young Men Living At Home With Parents Are More Violent, Study Suggests

California's Channel Islands Hold Evidence Of Clovis-age Comets Posted: 21 Jul 2009 11:00 AM PDT Scientists have found what may be the smoking gun of a much-debated proposal that a cosmic impact about 12,900 years ago ripped through North America and drove multiple species into extinction.

C. Difficile Spores Spread Superbug Posted: 21 Jul 2009 11:00 AM PDT A team of scientists have modeled the infection cycle of C. difficile by generating a "mouse hospital" with conditions mimicking transmission in the human environment. The scientists suggest that antibiotic treatment could be asymptomatically inducing the transmission of healthcare-acquired C. difficile, contributing to the outbreaks that have been widely reported in hospitals and other settings. The results have implications for infection control measures and open the door for improved diagnosis of C. difficile.

Green Tea: Mixed Reviews For Cancer Prevention Posted: 21 Jul 2009 11:00 AM PDT Lifestyle choices are pieces of the cancer prevention puzzle, but exactly which steps to take remain unclear, even to scientists. Still, more and more individuals are incorporating small changes into their daily routine -- such as drinking green tea -- in hopes of keeping cancer risk at bay. Is it working? A large new review of studies that examined the affect of green tea on cancer prevention has yielded conflicting results.

Genetic Variation Associated With Survival Advantage In African-Americans With HIV Posted: 21 Jul 2009 11:00 AM PDT From the start of the HIV epidemic, it appeared that some of the people who were infected with the virus were able to ward off the fatal effects of the disease longer than others.

Overfishing And Evolution: Fish Fear Their Census-takers Posted: 21 Jul 2009 11:00 AM PDT Using snorkelers and SCUBA divers is not the best way to monitor fish populations, if we want to know the evolutionary effects of overfishing. The fish population in coral reef areas is often assessed by snorkelers or SCUBA divers, but new research shows that these methods may misrepresent the number of fish.

Starve A Fever, Feed A Cold, Don't Be Stressed Posted: 21 Jul 2009 11:00 AM PDT Whether it's getting a cold during exam time or feeling run-down after a big meeting, we've all experienced feeling sick following a particularly stressful time at work or school. Is this merely coincidence, or is it possible that stress can actually make us sick? A new report reviews research investigating how stress can wreak havoc on our bodies, and provides some suggestions to further our understanding of this connection.

Growing Sea Lamprey Embryos Dramatically Alter Genomes, Discard Millions Of Units Of DNA Posted: 21 Jul 2009 08:00 AM PDT Sea lampreys, which arose from the jawless fish that first appeared a half-billion years ago, dramatically remodel their genomes during embryonic development. This is believed to be the first recorded observation of a vertebrate reorganizing its genome during normal development. Evolutionary biologists are interested in how and why the lamprey re-organizes its genome because the animal is a living fossil with millions of years of evolutionary history. Its closest ancestors were among the first vertebrates on earth.

Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Repair Heart, Study Shows Posted: 21 Jul 2009 08:00 AM PDT In a proof-of-concept study, researchers have demonstrated that induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells can be used to treat heart disease. iPS cells are stem cells converted from adult cells.

New Target For Tailored Antibiotics Discovered Posted: 21 Jul 2009 08:00 AM PDT More and more strains of bacteria are developing resistance to previously life-saving antibiotics. Researchers have now shed light on a metabolic step that appears in many aggressive microorganisms -- such as tuberculosis and malaria pathogens -- and that may provide a promising target for a new class of antibiotics.

Clotting In Veins Close To Skin May Be Associated With More Dangerous Deep-vein Blood Clots Posted: 21 Jul 2009 08:00 AM PDT About one-fourth of patients with superficial vein thrombosis -- clotting in blood vessels close to the skin -- also may have the life-threatening condition deep vein thrombosis, according to a new report.

Spaced Out Trees Reduce Urban Pollution Posted: 21 Jul 2009 08:00 AM PDT A new study suggests that we can improve city environments by planting trees down the middle of streets provided they are not too close together. Too many trees planted close together along a central strip, as is common in many major European cities could lead to more vehicle exhaust fumes being trapped in the urban canyon than would occur if there were no trees.

Nature? Nurture? Child Development Scientists Say Neither Posted: 21 Jul 2009 08:00 AM PDT It's easy to explain why we act a certain way by saying "it's in the genes," but a group of child development scientists say the world has relied on that simple explanation far too long. The scientists call for tossing out the nature-nurture debate, which they say has prevailed for centuries in part out of convenience and intellectual laziness.

Object Hits Jupiter, New NASA Images Indicate Posted: 21 Jul 2009 05:00 AM PDT Scientists have found evidence that another object has bombarded Jupiter, exactly 15 years after the first impacts by the comet Shoemaker-Levy 9.

Genes Linked To Chemoresistance Identified Posted: 21 Jul 2009 05:00 AM PDT Two genes may contribute to chemotherapy resistance in drugs like 5-fluorouracil, which is used in liver cancer treatment, according to cancer researchers.

Minerals On Mars Influence Measuring Of Its Temperature Posted: 21 Jul 2009 05:00 AM PDT Researchers have confirmed that the type of mineralogical composition on the surface of Mars influences the measuring of its temperature. The study will be used to interpret the data from the soil temperature sensor of NASA's Mars Science Laboratory vehicle, whose launch is envisaged for 2011.

Studies Shed Light On Preserving Fertility Among Cancer Patients Posted: 21 Jul 2009 05:00 AM PDT Successes in cancer treatment have created a challenge for young cancer patients since the chemotherapy and radiation treatments that save lives threaten fertility. Researchers are now reporting on how they are maturing human eggs in the laboratory, improving current techniques and discovering new cellular mechanisms that could help preserve and even restore fertility.

Wolf Reintroduction Proposed In Scottish Highland Test Case Posted: 21 Jul 2009 05:00 AM PDT Researchers are proposing in a new report that a major experiment be conducted to reintroduce wolves to a test site in the Scottish Highlands, to help control the populations and behavior of red deer that in the past 250 years have changed the whole nature of large ecosystems.

The Sounds Of Learning: Studying The Impact Of Music On Children With Autism Posted: 21 Jul 2009 05:00 AM PDT The power of music affects all of us and has long appealed to our emotions. It is for this reason that researchers are using music to help children with autism spectrum disorders, for whom understanding emotions is a very difficult task. This inability robs them of the chance to communicate effectively and make friends and can often lead to social isolation and loneliness.

Extreme Survival: Genes Let Creepy-crawly Creatures Survive Deep Freeze Posted: 21 Jul 2009 02:00 AM PDT Arctic springtails (Megaphorura arctica) survive freezing temperatures by dehydrating themselves before the coldest weather sets in. Researchers have identified a suite of genes involved in controlling this extreme survival mechanism.

Immunotherapy Linked To Lower Risk Of Alzheimer's Disease Posted: 21 Jul 2009 02:00 AM PDT Immunotherapy IVIg treatments, the addition of good antibodies into the blood stream, may hold promise for lowering the risk of Alzheimer's disease and other similar brain disorders, according to new research.

Bacterial Quorum Sensing: A Matter Of Density, Not Quantity Posted: 21 Jul 2009 02:00 AM PDT Researchers have demonstrated that the absolute number of cells is irrelevant to the process of bacterial quorum sensing; only the number of bacteria in a given volume plays a role. They were even able to trigger quorum-sensing processes in single cells when these were confined in extremely small volumes.

Earlier HIV Antiviral Treatment Can Be Cost Effective In Areas Of Limited Resources, South African Study Finds Posted: 21 Jul 2009 02:00 AM PDT Early initiation of lifesaving antiretroviral therapies should be the standard of care for all HIV-infected patients, even those in countries with limited medical and financial resources, according to a study in South Africa.

H1N1 Influenza Pandemic Modeling For Public Health Action Posted: 21 Jul 2009 02:00 AM PDT Mathematical modeling can help inform public health policy in outbreaks such as the H1N1 pandemic, write members of the Pandemic Influenza Outbreak Research Modeling Team in Canada. These models are useful tools for simulating plausible scenarios, developing control strategies and identifying important areas for immediate research.

Pregnancy Complications Are A Stress Test For Future Maternal Health And Pregnancies Posted: 21 Jul 2009 02:00 AM PDT Predicting whether pregnancy complications affect long-term maternal health as well as future pregnancies is at the heart of two new studies. Women who have had two pregnancies complicated by preeclampsia are at a higher risk of hypertension after pregnancy, according to one of the new studies. The other study shows that preterm delivery, preeclampsia and low-birth weight tend to recur in a second pregnancy.

Babies Understand Dogs, Bark-matching Study Finds Posted: 20 Jul 2009 11:00 PM PDT A new study shows that babies understand dogs. The experiments found 6-month-olds can match the sounds of friendly and aggressive barks to corresponding pictures of dogs, which they accomplished on the first try.

Gene Linked To Increasingly Common Type Of Blood Cancer Posted: 20 Jul 2009 11:00 PM PDT Carriers have nearly twice the risk of developing follicular lymphoma, according to cancer's first genome-wide association study.

Virtually Engineering Power Plants Posted: 20 Jul 2009 11:00 PM PDT Photovoltaic and wind energy plants, hydroelectric power stations and biogas plants supply energy without polluting the environment. However, they are complex to design and maintain. Virtual reality (VR) makes planning and operation easier.

Alzheimer's Drug Increases Toxic Beta Amyloid In Brain, But Still Provides Benefits Posted: 20 Jul 2009 11:00 PM PDT New insights into how a Phase III Alzheimer's drug might work were among the advances in potential therapies targeting two brain proteins -- amyloid and tau -- recently reported. Scientists also reported on how clinicians view and treat mild cognitive impairment, a research category used to define the state between normal aging and Alzheimer's, that is now being used widely in clinical practice.

Slotted Buses Keep Passengers Cool: Improving Bus Design Cools Passengers, Saves Fuel Posted: 20 Jul 2009 11:00 PM PDT A simple redesign of public buses used in hot and dry climates could make passengers more comfortable without the need to use extra fuel running air conditioning, according to a new study,

Social Support Buffers Adolescent Depression After Terrorist Attacks Posted: 20 Jul 2009 11:00 PM PDT Researchers have conducted a "before and after" study of depression and terrorist attacks in adolescents, demonstrating that strong social support from friends is a buffer from depression in terrorism-related stress.

Researchers Help Crack Parasite Genome, Identify Drug Leads Posted: 20 Jul 2009 08:00 PM PDT Two recent research papers are marking major breakthroughs in the effort to tackle schistosomiasis (bilharzia), a tropical disease that infects more than 200 million people worldwide and causes long-term debilitating illness and occasional paralysis or death.

Fist-sized Tumor From Brain With Help Of New 3-D Brain Mapping Posted: 20 Jul 2009 08:00 PM PDT A new technology involving the fusion of four different types of images into a 3-D map of a patient's brain has helped specialists successfully remove a fist-sized tumor from the brain of an Indiana woman.

Potential Failure Of Oral Contraceptives With Obese Women Explained Posted: 20 Jul 2009 08:00 PM PDT Researchers have identified a potential biological mechanism that could explain why oral contraceptives may be less effective at preventing pregnancy in obese women, as some epidemiological studies have indicated.

Not 'Genomic Junk' After All: LincRNAs Have Global Role In Genome Regulation Posted: 20 Jul 2009 08:00 PM PDT A scientific team shows that lincRNAs -- once dismissed as "genomic junk" -- have a global role in genome regulation.

'Heart Healthy' Diet And Ongoing, Moderate Physical Activity May Protect Against Cognitive Decline Posted: 20 Jul 2009 08:00 PM PDT Eating a "heart healthy" diet and maintaining or increasing participation in moderate physical activity may help preserve our memory and thinking abilities as we age, according to new research.

Radioactive Material From Dying Supernova May Have Spawned Our Solar System Posted: 20 Jul 2009 05:00 PM PDT Astrophysicists have discovered a new explanation for the early composition of our solar system. Radioactive nuclei found in the earliest meteorites, dating back billions of years, could have been delivered by a nearby dying giant star of six times the mass of the sun.

New Strategy In Tumor Treatment Posted: 20 Jul 2009 05:00 PM PDT A new strategy may treat tumors that do not respond to conventional treatment. Medical researchers used a two part strategy to selectively kill tumors while protecting healthy cells.

Edible Coating Makes Fish Fillets Longer-lasting, Healthier Posted: 20 Jul 2009 05:00 PM PDT Consumers may soon be able to eat longer-lasting, potentially healthier fish filets. Scientists have extended the shelf life of lingcod fillets and made them more nutritious by dipping them into an edible, protective coating enriched with fish oil.

Ticking Bomb: Novel Procedure Treats High-risk Aortic Aneurysms Posted: 20 Jul 2009 05:00 PM PDT A new hybrid technique has been developed to treat aortic aneurysms in high-risk patients called CESA (combined endovascular and surgical approach). Since 1998, the procedure has been performed on 31 patients. The surgical team reported excellent results in the first 20 high-risk patients with complex aortic pathology treated with CESA. The technique has been gaining popularity at centers throughout the world for high-risk cases.

Program For Cyber Security 'Neighborhood Watch' Developed Posted: 20 Jul 2009 05:00 PM PDT U.S. Department of Energy laboratories fight off millions of cyber attacks every year, but a near real-time dialogue between these labs about this hostile activity has never existed -- until now. Scientists have devised a program that allows for Cyber Security defense systems to communicate when attacked and transmit that information to cyber systems at other institutions in the hopes of strengthening the overall cyber security posture of the complex.

Study Calls For New Approach To Teaching English As A Lingua Franca Posted: 20 Jul 2009 05:00 PM PDT A study highlights the need for a new approach to the teaching of English pronunciation given that English is now a lingua franca, with more non-native speakers in the world than native speakers.

Risk Of Huge Pacific Ocean Tsunami On West Coast Of America Greater Than Previously Thought Posted: 20 Jul 2009 02:00 PM PDT The potential for a huge Pacific Ocean tsunami on the West Coast of America may be greater than previously thought, according to a new study of geological evidence along the Gulf of Alaska coast. The new research suggests that future tsunamis could reach a scale far beyond that suffered in the tsunami generated by the great 1964 Alaskan earthquake.

Children's IQ Can Be Affected By Mother's Exposure To Urban Air Pollutants, Study Suggests Posted: 20 Jul 2009 02:00 PM PDT Prenatal exposure to environmental pollutants known as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons can adversely affect a child's intelligence quotient or IQ, according to new research.

Sweet, Salty, Sour, Bitter And Umami: Variants Of 'Umami' Taste Receptor Contribute To Our Individualized Flavor Worlds Posted: 20 Jul 2009 02:00 PM PDT Using a combination of sensory, genetic, and in vitro approaches, researchers confirm that the T1R1-T1R3 taste receptor plays a role in human umami (amino acid) taste. They further report that variations in a gene that codes for this receptor correspond to individual differences in sensitivity to and perceived intensity of umami taste.

How Flu Damages Lung Tissue Posted: 20 Jul 2009 02:00 PM PDT A protein in influenza virus that helps it multiply also damages lung epithelial cells, causing fluid buildup in the lungs, according to new research. The researchers say the recent outbreak of H1N1 influenza and the rapid spread of this strain across the world highlight both the need to better understand how the virus damages the lungs and the urgency to find new treatments. Influenza is a contagious disease leading to about 36,000 human deaths and 200,000 hospitalizations every year in the United States alone.

University Has Grand Designs To Build A House Of Straw Posted: 20 Jul 2009 02:00 PM PDT Could straw houses be the buildings of the future? That's what researchers will be testing this summer by constructing a "BaleHaus" made of prefabricated straw bale and hemp cladding panel.

Young Men Living At Home With Parents Are More Violent, Study Suggests Posted: 20 Jul 2009 02:00 PM PDT Young men who stay at home with their parents are more violent than those who live independently, according to new research. Men still living at home in their early twenties have fewer responsibilities and more disposable income to spend on alcohol. This group makes up only four percent of the UK's male population but they are responsible for 16 percent of all violent injuries in the last five years.

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