ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

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• Brain Difference In Psychopaths Identified
• Tumors Effectively Treated With Use Of Nanotubes
• Mars Dust Devil Has Colorful Effect In Image Series
• Maternal Immunity Not All Good For A Fetus
• Does This Avatar Make Me Look Fat?
• Thinking Crickets: 'Cognitive' Processes Underlie Memory Recall In Crickets
• Plastics That Convert Light To Electricity Could Have A Big Impact
• Promising Candidate Protein For Cancer Prevention Vaccines
• Lead-based Consumer Paint Remains A Global Public Health Threat
• Heart Disease Patients With Previous Blockages More Likely To Die
• Sick Fish May Get Sicker Due To Climate Change And Other Stresses
• Friendship Influences Eating Behavior, Particularly When Friends Are Overweight
• Scary Ancient 'Spiders' Revealed In 3D Models, With New Imaging Technique
• Cannibalistic Cells May Help Prevent Infections
• Chemists Explain The Switchboards In Our Cells
• Structure Of Antibiotic Ramoplanin Reveals Promising Mechanism
• Daily Temperature Shifts May Alter Malaria Patterns
• Perceiving Touch And Your Self Outside Of Your Body
• Geckos' Amazing Grip Is Triggered By Gravity
• Mounting Evidence Of Fish Oil's Heart Health Benefits
• International Marine Project Helps Protect Some Of The World's Rarest And Most Fragile Coral Reefs
• New Function For Protein Missing In Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Identified
• Understanding Biology Of Guam's Native Fadang Tree
• Accidental Childhood Poisonings Mostly Due To Medicines
• NASA's Spitzer Images Out-of-This-World Galaxy
• Nerve-block Anesthesia Can Improve Surgical Recovery, Even Outcomes
• Big Cattle: The Genes That Determine Carcass Weight
• Bcl6 Gene Sculpts Helper T Cell To Boost Antibody Production
• High Tech Vehicle Design Boosts Emergency Rescue Capacity
• Twin Study Examines Associations Between Depression And Coronary Artery Disease
• Human Population Expanded During Late Stone Age, Genetic Evidence Shows
• New Tool May Help With Early Detection Of Deadly Pancreatic Cancer
• Oscar Pistorius: Amputee Sprinter Runs Differently
• Mathematical Modeling Predicts Response To Herceptin
• Geneticists Unearth The Roots Of Human Genetic Variation
• School-based Program Helps Prevent Dating Violence Among Teens, Especially Boys
• Giant Molecules Made Of Rydberg Atoms Discovered
• Communication Breakdown: New Strategy May Be Valid Alternative To Traditional Antibiotics
• Cheerleading Is Leading Cause Of Catastrophic Injury In Young Women
• Critical Link In Cell Death Pathway Revealed
• Coral Reefs Face Increasing Difficulties Recovering From Storm Damage
• 'Brain Exercises' May Delay Memory Decline In Dementia
• Earth's Biogeochemical Cycles, Once In Concert, Falling Out Of Sync
• Stem Cell Surprise For Tissue Regeneration
• Nanoparticles Cross Blood-brain Barrier To Enable 'Brain Tumor Painting'
• New Treatment Method Reduces Pain In Patients With Vertebral Compression Fractures
• Newly Discovered Snow Roots Are 'Evolutionary Phenomenon'
• Antidepressant Use Increasing In The United States

Brain Difference In Psychopaths Identified Posted: 05 Aug 2009 11:00 AM PDT Scientists have found differences in the brain which may provide a biological explanation for psychopathy.

Tumors Effectively Treated With Use Of Nanotubes Posted: 05 Aug 2009 11:00 AM PDT By injecting man-made, microscopic tubes into tumors and heating them with a quick, 30-second zap of a laser, scientists have discovered a way to effectively kill kidney tumors in nearly 80 percent of mice. Researchers say that the finding suggests a potential future cancer treatment for humans.

Mars Dust Devil Has Colorful Effect In Image Series Posted: 05 Aug 2009 11:00 AM PDT Scientists have combined a trio of shots taken seconds apart through different colored filters to create a special-effects portrait of a moving dust devil on Mars.

Maternal Immunity Not All Good For A Fetus Posted: 05 Aug 2009 11:00 AM PDT New research has determined an immune mechanism responsible for graft failure in a mouse model of in utero blood cell transplantation, a procedure that could be used to treat human congenital blood disorders. As fetal immune cells were triggered to eliminate the transplanted blood cells by immune molecules obtained from the mother's breast milk, the authors suggest that it should be possible to develop approaches to insure this approach is successful in the clinic.

Does This Avatar Make Me Look Fat? Posted: 05 Aug 2009 11:00 AM PDT Creating a Second Life avatar, or virtual representation of oneself, that is thin and physically fit may encourage individuals to become healthier and more physically fit in their real lives, according to a new study.

Thinking Crickets: 'Cognitive' Processes Underlie Memory Recall In Crickets Posted: 05 Aug 2009 11:00 AM PDT Activation of two different kinds of neurons is necessary for appetitive and aversive memory recall in crickets. Researchers blocked octopaminergic (OA-ergic) and dopaminergic (DA-ergic) transmission and found that this resulted in the inability to recall pleasant and unpleasant memories, respectively.

Plastics That Convert Light To Electricity Could Have A Big Impact Posted: 05 Aug 2009 08:00 AM PDT Researchers have found a way to measure exactly how much electrical current is carried by tiny bubbles and channels that form inside nanoscale solar cells, paving the way for development of more efficient materials.

Promising Candidate Protein For Cancer Prevention Vaccines Posted: 05 Aug 2009 08:00 AM PDT Researchers have learned that some healthy people naturally developed an immune response against a protein that is made in excess levels in many cancers, including breast, lung, and head and neck cancers. The finding suggests that a vaccine against the protein might prevent malignancies in high-risk individuals.

Lead-based Consumer Paint Remains A Global Public Health Threat Posted: 05 Aug 2009 08:00 AM PDT Although lead content in paint has been restricted in the United States since 1978, environmental health researchers say in major countries from three continents there is still widespread failure to acknowledge its danger and companies continue to sell consumer paints that contain dangerous levels of lead.

Heart Disease Patients With Previous Blockages More Likely To Die Posted: 05 Aug 2009 08:00 AM PDT Compared to patients without prior heart disease, those who previously had blocked arteries were more likely to die in the hospital. Patients with previous heart disease also received three guideline-recommended treatments -- cholesterol-lowering drugs, anti-smoking counseling and ACE inhibitors -- less frequently than patients who had not had heart disease. Two treatments -- aspirin and beta blockers -- were prescribed the same across the board.

Sick Fish May Get Sicker Due To Climate Change And Other Stresses Posted: 05 Aug 2009 08:00 AM PDT Entire populations of North American fish already are being affected by several emerging diseases, a problem that threatens to increase in the future with climate change and other stresses on aquatic ecosystems, according to biologists.

Friendship Influences Eating Behavior, Particularly When Friends Are Overweight Posted: 05 Aug 2009 08:00 AM PDT A new study of childhood obesity in the United States has found that some social factors, such as the presence of friends, may put overweight youths at greater risk of overeating.

Scary Ancient 'Spiders' Revealed In 3D Models, With New Imaging Technique Posted: 05 Aug 2009 05:00 AM PDT Early relatives of spiders that lived around 300 million years ago are revealed in new three-dimensional models. Previous studies of the fossilized remains of Cryptomartus hindi allowed scientists to see some features of the creature, which had four pairs of legs and looked similar to a spider.

Cannibalistic Cells May Help Prevent Infections Posted: 05 Aug 2009 05:00 AM PDT Infectious-disease specialists have demonstrated that a cannibalistic process in cells plays a key role in limiting Salmonella infection.

Chemists Explain The Switchboards In Our Cells Posted: 05 Aug 2009 05:00 AM PDT Our cells are controlled by billions of molecular "switches" and chemists have developed a theory that explains how these molecules work. Their findings may significantly help efforts to build biologically based sensors for the detection of chemicals ranging from drugs to explosives to disease markers.

Structure Of Antibiotic Ramoplanin Reveals Promising Mechanism Posted: 05 Aug 2009 05:00 AM PDT With the "last resort" antibiotic Vancomycin now plagued by the first signs of bacterial resistance, scientists have identified how a candidate successor antibiotic known as Ramoplanin A2 can kill pathogenic bacteria by interrupting how they form their cell membranes.

Daily Temperature Shifts May Alter Malaria Patterns Posted: 05 Aug 2009 05:00 AM PDT Daytime temperature fluctuations greatly alter the incubation period of malaria parasites in mosquitoes, and alter transmission rates of the disease. Consideration of these fluctuations reveals a more accurate picture of climate change's impact on malaria.

Perceiving Touch And Your Self Outside Of Your Body Posted: 05 Aug 2009 05:00 AM PDT When you feel you are being touched, usually something is physically touching you and you perceive that your "self" is located in the same place as your body. Neuroscientists have now investigated bodily self-consciousness and the spatial representation of touch stimuli. They found that sensations of touch can be felt and mislocalized towards where a "virtual" body is seen. These findings provide new avenues for the animation of virtual worlds and machines.

Geckos' Amazing Grip Is Triggered By Gravity Posted: 05 Aug 2009 02:00 AM PDT Geckos are very adept at climbing through difficult terrain using an intricate adhesive system. Until now it has not been known when and how they switch on their unique system of traction. Scientists have now discovered that the geckos' amazing grip is triggered by gravity.

Mounting Evidence Of Fish Oil's Heart Health Benefits Posted: 05 Aug 2009 02:00 AM PDT There is mounting evidence that omega-3 fatty acids from fish or fish oil supplements not only help prevent cardiovascular diseases in healthy individuals, but also reduce the incidence of cardiac events and mortality in patients with existing heart disease. A new study extensively reviews data from a broad range of studies in tens of thousands of patients and sets forth suggested daily targets for omega-3 consumption.

International Marine Project Helps Protect Some Of The World's Rarest And Most Fragile Coral Reefs Posted: 05 Aug 2009 02:00 AM PDT Some of the world's rarest and most fragile coral reefs and the economies that depend on them will be better protected thanks to a major international marine project led by the University of Southampton.

New Function For Protein Missing In Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Identified Posted: 05 Aug 2009 02:00 AM PDT Researchers have identified a new function for the protein missing in people with the most common and ultimately lethal form of childhood muscular dystrophy.

Understanding Biology Of Guam's Native Fadang Tree Posted: 05 Aug 2009 02:00 AM PDT Self-sustaining organisms like plants possess the ability to synthesize their own food using inorganic materials. Plants use water and carbon dioxide to begin this process in their green tissues. The leaf is the organ most often used by plants for this food synthesis. Scientists are contributing to the general understanding of the strategies that plants employ to carry out this foundational step of the food web.

Accidental Childhood Poisonings Mostly Due To Medicines Posted: 05 Aug 2009 02:00 AM PDT More than two-thirds of all emergency department visits for childhood poisoning involve prescription and over-the-counter medications, more than twice the rate of poisonings from consumer products, reports a new study.

NASA's Spitzer Images Out-of-This-World Galaxy Posted: 04 Aug 2009 11:00 PM PDT NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope has imaged a wild creature of the dark -- a coiled galaxy with an eye-like object at its center.

Nerve-block Anesthesia Can Improve Surgical Recovery, Even Outcomes Posted: 04 Aug 2009 11:00 PM PDT When planning for surgery, patients too often don't consider the kind of anesthesia they will receive. In fact, the choice of anesthesia can improve recovery, even outcomes.

Big Cattle: The Genes That Determine Carcass Weight Posted: 04 Aug 2009 11:00 PM PDT An area of chromosome 6 that affects cattle carcass weight has been identified using two different Japanese breeds. Knowledge of this four-gene region should be useful in breeding beef cattle.

Bcl6 Gene Sculpts Helper T Cell To Boost Antibody Production Posted: 04 Aug 2009 11:00 PM PDT Expression of a single gene programs an immune system helper T cell that fuels rapid growth and diversification of antibodies in a cellular structure implicated in autoimmune diseases and development of B cell lymphoma, scientists report in Science.

High Tech Vehicle Design Boosts Emergency Rescue Capacity Posted: 04 Aug 2009 11:00 PM PDT Use of high performance aerospace materials has resulted in a versatile rescue vehicle design offering high capacity and rapid reaction to environmental disasters and terrorist attacks.

Twin Study Examines Associations Between Depression And Coronary Artery Disease Posted: 04 Aug 2009 11:00 PM PDT Major depression and coronary artery disease are only modestly related throughout an individual's lifetime, but studying how the two interact over time and in twin pairs paints a more complex picture of the associations between the conditions, according to a new report. For example, the association between coronary artery disease onset and major depression risk is much stronger over time than vice versa.

Human Population Expanded During Late Stone Age, Genetic Evidence Shows Posted: 04 Aug 2009 08:00 PM PDT Genetic evidence is revealing that human populations began to expand in size in Africa during the Late Stone Age approximately 40,000 years ago. Scientists have found that sub-Saharan populations increased in size well before the development of agriculture. This research supports the hypothesis that population growth played a significant role in the evolution of human cultures in the Late Pleistocene.

New Tool May Help With Early Detection Of Deadly Pancreatic Cancer Posted: 04 Aug 2009 08:00 PM PDT A new diagnostic tool has shown promising results when used with patients of pancreatic cancer, one of the deadliest forms of cancer due to the difficulty of diagnosing it in its early stages. The method, which studies carbohydrate structures in the bloodstream, could lead to the development of blood tests that can detect cancer more effectively.

Oscar Pistorius: Amputee Sprinter Runs Differently Posted: 04 Aug 2009 08:00 PM PDT A team of experts in biomechanics and physiology have conducted experiments on Oscar Pistorius, the South African bilateral amputee track athlete.

Mathematical Modeling Predicts Response To Herceptin Posted: 04 Aug 2009 08:00 PM PDT Cancer researchers are turning to mathematical models to help answer important clinical questions, and a new article illustrates how the technique may answer questions about Herceptin resistance.

Geneticists Unearth The Roots Of Human Genetic Variation Posted: 04 Aug 2009 08:00 PM PDT A new study is using advanced single molecule methods to explore processes that lie at the very core of DNA variation in humans. The study focuses on the process of 'recombination', which re-shuffles our genetic content at the time of egg and sperm production.

School-based Program Helps Prevent Dating Violence Among Teens, Especially Boys Posted: 04 Aug 2009 08:00 PM PDT A school-based program that integrates information about healthy relationships into the existing ninth-grade curriculum appears to reduce adolescent dating violence and increase condom use two and a half years later, according to a new report.

Giant Molecules Made Of Rydberg Atoms Discovered Posted: 04 Aug 2009 05:00 PM PDT Researchers have discovered giant Rydberg molecules with a bond as large as a red blood cell. Determining how Rydberg molecules interact is important because Rydberg atoms are a key ingredient in atom based quantum computation schemes.

Communication Breakdown: New Strategy May Be Valid Alternative To Traditional Antibiotics Posted: 04 Aug 2009 05:00 PM PDT Certainly there is strength in numbers, but only if those numbers can effectively communicate with one another. Now, a new study finds that administration of a novel small molecule which effectively disrupts a key bacterial communication process protects an animal host from infection. The research may lead to more effective treatments for bacterial infection that won't encourage growth of treatment resistant bacteria.

Cheerleading Is Leading Cause Of Catastrophic Injury In Young Women Posted: 04 Aug 2009 05:00 PM PDT As a bright, young cheerleader trying out for the high school varsity squad, 14-year-old Laura Jackson had everything going for her. But when a back flip went wrong during a try-out without a trained spotter on hand, Laura landed on her head fracturing her neck and damaging her spinal cord. Laura is now paralyzed and breathes with the help of a ventilator.

Critical Link In Cell Death Pathway Revealed Posted: 04 Aug 2009 05:00 PM PDT The role of a protein called XIAP in the regulation of cell death has been identified by researchers and has led them to recommend caution when drugs called IAP inhibitors are used to treat cancer patients with underlying liver conditions.

Coral Reefs Face Increasing Difficulties Recovering From Storm Damage Posted: 04 Aug 2009 05:00 PM PDT As global warming whips up more powerful and frequent hurricanes and storms, the world's coral reefs face increased disruption to their ability to breed and recover from damage. "We have found clear evidence that coral recruitment -- the regrowth of young corals -- drops sharply in the wake of a major bleaching event or a hurricane," says the lead author of the study.

'Brain Exercises' May Delay Memory Decline In Dementia Posted: 04 Aug 2009 05:00 PM PDT People who engage in activities that exercise the brain, such as reading, writing, and playing card games, may delay the rapid memory decline that occurs if they later develop dementia, according to a new study.

Earth's Biogeochemical Cycles, Once In Concert, Falling Out Of Sync Posted: 04 Aug 2009 02:00 PM PDT What do the Gulf of Mexico's "dead zone," global climate change and acid rain have in common? They're all a result of human impacts to Earth's biology, chemistry and geology, and the natural cycles that involve all three.

Stem Cell Surprise For Tissue Regeneration Posted: 04 Aug 2009 02:00 PM PDT Scientists have overturned previous research that identified critical genes for making muscle stem cells. It turns out that the genes that make muscle stem cells in the embryo are surprisingly not needed in adult muscle stem cells to regenerate muscles after injury. The finding challenges the current course of research into muscular dystrophy, muscle injury and regenerative medicine; it also favors using age-matched stem cells for therapy.

Nanoparticles Cross Blood-brain Barrier To Enable 'Brain Tumor Painting' Posted: 04 Aug 2009 02:00 PM PDT Fluorescent nanoparticles are able to illuminate brain tumors in mice. The particles can safely cross the blood-brain barrier, an almost impenetrable barrier that protects the brain from infection.

New Treatment Method Reduces Pain In Patients With Vertebral Compression Fractures Posted: 04 Aug 2009 02:00 PM PDT Vesselplasty, a new minimally invasive procedure, increases mobility, and reduces pain and the need for pain killers in patients with vertebral compression fractures (VCFs), according to a new study. Vesselplasty is a new alternative to vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty -- two conventional VCF treatment methods.

Newly Discovered Snow Roots Are 'Evolutionary Phenomenon' Posted: 04 Aug 2009 02:00 PM PDT It may not be the Yeti, but in a remote region of the Russian mountains a previously unknown and entirely unique form of plant root has been discovered.

Antidepressant Use Increasing In The United States Posted: 04 Aug 2009 02:00 PM PDT A marked and broad expansion in antidepressant treatment occurred among Americans older than 6 years between 1996 and 2005, although treatment rates remain low among racial and ethnic minorities, according to a new report.

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