ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

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• All-in-One Nanoparticle: A 'Swiss Army Knife' For Nanomedicine
• Protein That May Be 'Boon' To Medicine Isolated
• African Village Dogs Are Genetically Much More Diverse Than Modern Breeds
• Popular Insect Repellent Deet Is Neurotoxic
• Shedding Light On Freak Wave Hot Spots
• Men Who Do The Housework Are More Likely To Get The Girl
• Astronomers Find Hyperactive Galaxies In Early Universe
• Decoding Leukemia Patient Genome Leads Scientists To Mutations In Other Patients
• Do Chicago’s Suburbs Hold The Key To Understanding West Nile Virus?
• Sex Hormones Associated With Broken Bones In Older Men
• NASA To Provide Web Updates On Objects Approaching Earth
• The Way You Eat May Affect Your Risk For Breast Cancer
• Venomous Sea Snakes Play Heads Or Tails With Their Predators
• Gut Hormone Has 'Remote Control' On Blood Sugar
• New Insights Into Health And Environmental Effects Of Carbon Nanoparticles
• Protein Complex Key In Avoiding DNA Repair Mistakes, Cancer
• Possible Meteorite On Mars Imaged By Opportunity Rover
• Intense, Prolonged Exposure To World Trade Center Attack Linked To New Health Problems Years Later
• Crows Can Use 'Up To Three Tools' In Correct Sequence Without Training
• MRI May Help Physicians Diagnose, Stage And Treat Diabetes
• Scientists In Northern Alaska Spot A Shorebird Tagged 8,000 Miles Away
• Is There Long-term Brain Damage After Bypass Surgery? More Evidence Puts The Blame On Heart Disease
• Hybrid Vehicle Rebates Produce Scant Environmental Benefits, High Cost
• Myth Of High Engineering Dropout Rate Refuted By New Study
• 'Jumping Genes' Create Diversity In Human Brain Cells, Offering Clues To Evolutionary And Neurological Disease
• Cardiovascular Risk After Ischemic Attack Predicted By Ultrasound
• Dioxin Decomposition In The Yushchenko Case: Elimination Rate Faster Than Expected
• IgM In Urine Acts As Prognostic Indicator In Diabetes
• Shipwrecks Wrecking Coral Reefs? A Case Study At Palmyra Atoll National Wildlife Refuge
• Hormone Levels Contribute To Stress Resilience
• Double Engine Fuels Star's Remarkable Nebula
• Silenced Genes As Warning Sign Of Blood Cancer
• Poaching Crisis As Rhino Horn Demand Booms In Asia
• Protein 'Tweek' Rare But Critical In Synaptic Process
• Improved Air Quality During Beijing Olympics Could Inform Pollution-curbing Policies
• Workplace Yoga And Meditation Can Lower Feelings Of Stress
• First-ever 'Wanderlust Gene' Found In Tiny Bony Fish
• Social Stress Linked To Harmful Fat Deposits, Heart Disease
• Nanoscale Lasers May Open Door To Faster Computers, More Reliable Internet Access
• One Force Behind The MYC Oncogene In Many Cancers Uncovered
• Tires Made From Trees: Better, Cheaper, More Fuel Efficient
• Neuropathic Pain: The Sea Provides A New Hope Of Relief
• Growing Evidence Of Marijuana Smoke's Potential Dangers
• Holding Breath For Several Minutes Elevates Marker For Brain Damage
• Saturnian Moon Shows Evidence Of Ammonia
• Link Uncovered Between Viral RNA And Human Immune Response
• Eating 'Ouch-less' Vaccines Protects Prairie Dogs In The Lab Against Plague
• Autism Study Finds Visual Processing 'Hinders Ability' To Read Body Language

All-in-One Nanoparticle: A 'Swiss Army Knife' For Nanomedicine Posted: 06 Aug 2009 11:00 AM PDT Nanoparticles are being developed to perform a wide range of medical uses -- imaging tumors, carrying drugs, delivering pulses of heat. Rather than settling for just one of these, researchers have combined two nanoparticles in one tiny package. The result is the first structure that creates a multipurpose nanotechnology tool for medical imaging and therapy.

Protein That May Be 'Boon' To Medicine Isolated Posted: 06 Aug 2009 11:00 AM PDT Scientists have isolated a unique protein that appears to have a dual function and could lead to a "boon in medicine."

African Village Dogs Are Genetically Much More Diverse Than Modern Breeds Posted: 06 Aug 2009 11:00 AM PDT African village dogs are not a mixture of modern breeds but have directly descended from an ancestral pool of indigenous dogs, according to a new genetic analysis of hundreds of semi-feral African village dogs.

Popular Insect Repellent Deet Is Neurotoxic Posted: 06 Aug 2009 11:00 AM PDT The active ingredient in many insect repellents, deet, has been found to be toxic to the central nervous system. Researchers say that more investigations are urgently needed to confirm or dismiss any potential neurotoxicity to humans, especially when deet-based repellents are used in combination with other neurotoxic insecticides.

Shedding Light On Freak Wave Hot Spots Posted: 06 Aug 2009 11:00 AM PDT Instances of "freak" or extreme waves have long been part of maritime lore, known for suddenly sending ships to the ocean floor. Using mathematical simulations, researchers have shown that changes in water depth and currents, which are common in coastal areas, may significantly increase the likelihood of extreme waves. These findings could allow for identification of extreme wave hotspots, which would greatly benefit the shipping industry and design of offshore structures.

Men Who Do The Housework Are More Likely To Get The Girl Posted: 06 Aug 2009 11:00 AM PDT Marriage and cohabiting rates in developed countries can be linked to attitudes towards the roles of men and women, and views on who is responsible for doing the housework and looking after the children. Both men and women have shown they are more likely to want a live-in relationship with the opposite sex if they think their partner will do a share of the housework and childcare duties.

Astronomers Find Hyperactive Galaxies In Early Universe Posted: 06 Aug 2009 08:00 AM PDT Looking almost 11 billion years into the past, astronomers have measured the motions of stars for the first time in a very distant galaxy and clocked speeds upwards of one million miles per hour, about twice the speed of our Sun through the Milky Way.

Decoding Leukemia Patient Genome Leads Scientists To Mutations In Other Patients Posted: 06 Aug 2009 08:00 AM PDT Scientists have sequenced the complete genome of a patient with acute myeloid leukemia, discovering a suite of genetic changes in the cancer cells. Their research has revealed that one of these mutations also is common in certain brain tumors called gliomas and that another occurred in a second patient with the same type of leukemia. Neither mutation had been previously linked to leukemia.

Do Chicago’s Suburbs Hold The Key To Understanding West Nile Virus? Posted: 06 Aug 2009 08:00 AM PDT When Tony Goldberg is not whacking through the brush of central Africa, one of the world's great cauldrons of emerging human and animal disease, he is scouring another disease hot spot: the southwestern suburbs of Chicago. The goal of Goldberg's study is to ferret out the reasons why one neighborhood might be in the eye of the West Nile storm while another neighboring area is not.

Sex Hormones Associated With Broken Bones In Older Men Posted: 06 Aug 2009 08:00 AM PDT Low levels of estradiol or high levels of sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) are associated with an increased risk of osteoporotic fracture in older men, according to a new study. The study also finds that men with low levels of testosterone combined with high levels of SHBG are also at higher risk for bone fracture.

NASA To Provide Web Updates On Objects Approaching Earth Posted: 06 Aug 2009 08:00 AM PDT NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory is introducing a new Web site that will provide a centralized resource for information on near-Earth objects -- those asteroids and comets that can approach Earth. The "Asteroid Watch" site also contains links for the interested public to sign up for NASA's new asteroid widget and Twitter account.

The Way You Eat May Affect Your Risk For Breast Cancer Posted: 06 Aug 2009 08:00 AM PDT How you eat may be just as important as how much you eat, if mice studies are any clue. Cancer researchers have long studied the role of diet on breast cancer risk, but results to date have been mixed. New findings suggest the method by which calories are restricted may be more important for cancer protection than the actual overall degree of calorie restriction.

Venomous Sea Snakes Play Heads Or Tails With Their Predators Posted: 06 Aug 2009 05:00 AM PDT A new discovery reveals how venomous sea snakes deceive their predators into believing they have two heads.

Gut Hormone Has 'Remote Control' On Blood Sugar Posted: 06 Aug 2009 05:00 AM PDT A gut hormone first described in 1928 plays an unanticipated and important role in the remote control of blood sugar production in the liver, according to a new report. What's more, the researchers show that rats fed a high-fat diet for a few days become resistant to the glucose-lowering hormone known as cholecystokinin.

New Insights Into Health And Environmental Effects Of Carbon Nanoparticles Posted: 06 Aug 2009 05:00 AM PDT A new study raises the possibility that flies and other insects that encounter nanomaterial "hot spots," or spills, near manufacturing facilities in the future could pick up and transport nanoparticles on their bodies, transferring the particles to other flies or habitats in the environment.

Protein Complex Key In Avoiding DNA Repair Mistakes, Cancer Posted: 06 Aug 2009 05:00 AM PDT Lymphoma and other cancers may occur when a delicate gene recombination process in antibody-making cells goes awry, according to preliminary studies in mice at the University of Michigan.

Possible Meteorite On Mars Imaged By Opportunity Rover Posted: 06 Aug 2009 05:00 AM PDT NASA's Opportunity rover has eyed an odd-shaped, dark rock, about 0.6 meters (2 feet) across on the surface of Mars, which may be a meteorite.

Intense, Prolonged Exposure To World Trade Center Attack Linked To New Health Problems Years Later Posted: 06 Aug 2009 05:00 AM PDT Large number of individuals, such as recovery and rescue workers, nearby residents and office workers, who experienced intense or prolonged exposure to the World Trade Center attack have reported new diagnoses of asthma or post-traumatic stress 5-6 years after the attack.

Crows Can Use 'Up To Three Tools' In Correct Sequence Without Training Posted: 06 Aug 2009 02:00 AM PDT Crows can spontaneously use up to three tools in the correct sequence to achieve a goal, something never before observed in non-human animals without explicit training. Sequential tool use has often been interpreted as evidence for advanced cognitive abilities, such as planning and analogical reasoning, but this has never been explicitly examined.

MRI May Help Physicians Diagnose, Stage And Treat Diabetes Posted: 06 Aug 2009 02:00 AM PDT Noninvasive imaging may aid physicians in the early diagnosis, staging and treatment of diabetes, according to a new study. This is the first study of its kind to apply noninvasive imaging techniques to diabetes research.

Scientists In Northern Alaska Spot A Shorebird Tagged 8,000 Miles Away Posted: 06 Aug 2009 02:00 AM PDT Wildlife Conservation Society scientists studying shorebirds in western Arctic Alaska recently made a serendipitous discovery when they spotted a bar-tailed godwit with a small orange flag and aluminum band harmlessly attached to its legs. Further research revealed that scientists in Australia had banded the bird and attached the flag near Victoria -- more than 8,000 miles away.

Is There Long-term Brain Damage After Bypass Surgery? More Evidence Puts The Blame On Heart Disease Posted: 06 Aug 2009 02:00 AM PDT Brain scientists and cardiac surgeons have evidence from 227 heart bypass surgery patients that long-term memory losses and cognitive problems they experience are due to the underlying coronary artery disease itself and not ill after-effects from having used a heart-lung machine.

Hybrid Vehicle Rebates Produce Scant Environmental Benefits, High Cost Posted: 06 Aug 2009 02:00 AM PDT Despite major costs to taxpayers in the US and Canada, government programs that offer rebates to hybrid vehicle buyers are failing to produce environmental benefits, a new study says. The study finds that hybrid sales have come largely at the expense of small, relatively fuel-efficient, conventional cars, rather than large SUVs, trucks and vans, which produce substantially greater carbon emissions. The study also finds that the majority of consumers who purchase hybrids were not motivated to do so by government rebates.

Myth Of High Engineering Dropout Rate Refuted By New Study Posted: 06 Aug 2009 02:00 AM PDT Research findings suggest that, contrary to popular belief, engineering does not have a higher dropout rate than other majors and women do just as well as men, information that could lead to a strategy for boosting the number of US engineering graduates.

'Jumping Genes' Create Diversity In Human Brain Cells, Offering Clues To Evolutionary And Neurological Disease Posted: 05 Aug 2009 11:00 PM PDT Rather than sticking to a single DNA script, human brain cells harbor an astonishing genomic variability, according to scientists. The findings could help explain brain development and individuality, as well as lead to a better understanding of neurological disease.

Cardiovascular Risk After Ischemic Attack Predicted By Ultrasound Posted: 05 Aug 2009 11:00 PM PDT Ultrasound can be used to determine a patient's heart risk after a transient ischemic attack. An evaluation of transcranial and extracranial Doppler ultrasonography has shown that both future stroke and future cardiovascular ischemic events can be predicted by abnormal findings.

Dioxin Decomposition In The Yushchenko Case: Elimination Rate Faster Than Expected Posted: 05 Aug 2009 11:00 PM PDT In 2004 the current Ukrainian president, Viktor Yushchenko, suffered a severe case of dioxin poisoning. In order to understand how the human body reacts to remove the poison, researchers have analyzed over a hundred samples taken from the politician. They succeeded for the first time in identifying decomposition products which are created, and they also observed that when the dioxin dose is very high -- as was the case with Viktor Yushchenko -- the excretion rate is higher than expected.

IgM In Urine Acts As Prognostic Indicator In Diabetes Posted: 05 Aug 2009 11:00 PM PDT A marker of the likely course of diabetic nephropathy has been found. An 18-year study has shown that Immunoglobulin M is a reliable predictor of cardiovascular complications in DN patients.

Shipwrecks Wrecking Coral Reefs? A Case Study At Palmyra Atoll National Wildlife Refuge Posted: 05 Aug 2009 11:00 PM PDT For the first time, researchers have definitively shown that shipwrecks and other man-made structures increase the potential for large invasions of unwanted species into coral reefs, even comparatively pristine ones. These unwanted species can completely overtake a reef and eliminate native corals, dramatically decreasing the diversity of marine organisms on the reef. Coral reefs can undergo fast changes in their dominant life forms, a phenomenon referred to as phase shift.

Hormone Levels Contribute To Stress Resilience Posted: 05 Aug 2009 11:00 PM PDT It is important to understand what biological mechanisms contribute to an individual's capacity to be resilient under conditions of extreme stress, such as those regularly experienced by soldiers, police, and firefighters. Researchers have now studied special operations soldiers enrolled in the military Combat Diver Qualification Course to discover how people fare under extreme stress.

Double Engine Fuels Star's Remarkable Nebula Posted: 05 Aug 2009 08:00 PM PDT ESO has just released a stunning new image of a field of stars towards the constellation of Carina (the Keel). This striking view is ablaze with a flurry of stars of all colors and brightnesses, some of which are seen against a backdrop of clouds of dust and gas. One unusual star in the middle, HD 87643, has been extensively studied with several ESO telescopes, including the Very Large Telescope Interferometer (VLTI). Surrounded by a complex, extended nebula that is the result of previous violent ejections, the star has been shown to have a companion. Interactions in this double system, surrounded by a dusty disc, may be the engine fueling the star's remarkable nebula.

Silenced Genes As Warning Sign Of Blood Cancer Posted: 05 Aug 2009 08:00 PM PDT In the genetic material of cancer cells, important growth inhibitors are often switched off by chemical labels in the DNA. How this happens has now been investigated. Scientists discovered in mice that cancer-typical DNA labeling occurs long before the first symptoms of leukemia appear. A test for the genetic label might therefore help to detect a developing cancer at an early point.

Poaching Crisis As Rhino Horn Demand Booms In Asia Posted: 05 Aug 2009 08:00 PM PDT Rhino poaching worldwide is poised to hit a 15-year-high driven by Asian demand for horns, according to new research.

Protein 'Tweek' Rare But Critical In Synaptic Process Posted: 05 Aug 2009 08:00 PM PDT Recycling is a critical component in the process of transmitting information from one neuron to the next, and a large protein called Tweek plays a critical role, according to new research.

Improved Air Quality During Beijing Olympics Could Inform Pollution-curbing Policies Posted: 05 Aug 2009 08:00 PM PDT The air in Beijing during the 2008 Olympics was cleaner than the previous year's, due to aggressive efforts by the Chinese government to curtail traffic, increase emissions standards and halt construction in preparation for the games, according to a new study.

Workplace Yoga And Meditation Can Lower Feelings Of Stress Posted: 05 Aug 2009 08:00 PM PDT Twenty minutes per day of guided workplace meditation and yoga combined with six weekly group sessions can lower feelings of stress by more than 10 percent and improve sleep quality in sedentary office employees, a pilot study suggests.

First-ever 'Wanderlust Gene' Found In Tiny Bony Fish Posted: 05 Aug 2009 05:00 PM PDT A gene previously associated with physical traits is also dictating behavior in a tiny fish widely regarded as a living model of Darwin's natural selection theory, according to a new study.

Social Stress Linked To Harmful Fat Deposits, Heart Disease Posted: 05 Aug 2009 05:00 PM PDT A new study shows that social stress could be an important precursor to heart disease by causing the body to deposit more fat in the abdominal cavity, speeding the harmful buildup of plaque in blood vessels, a stepping stone to the No. 1 cause of death in the world.

Nanoscale Lasers May Open Door To Faster Computers, More Reliable Internet Access Posted: 05 Aug 2009 05:00 PM PDT Engineers have found ways to make nanolasers smaller, opening up possibilities of integrating lasers more effectively with electronics components. Among results would be computers that operate more rapidly and efficiently, and quicker, more reliable Internet access.

One Force Behind The MYC Oncogene In Many Cancers Uncovered Posted: 05 Aug 2009 05:00 PM PDT DLX5, a gene crucial for embryonic development, promotes cancer by activating the expression of the known oncogene, MYC, according to researchers. Since the DLX5 gene is inactive in normal adults, it may be an ideal target for future anti-cancer drugs, they reason.

Tires Made From Trees: Better, Cheaper, More Fuel Efficient Posted: 05 Aug 2009 05:00 PM PDT Automobile owners around the world may some day soon be driving on tires that are partly made out of trees -- which could cost less, perform better and save on fuel and energy.

Neuropathic Pain: The Sea Provides A New Hope Of Relief Posted: 05 Aug 2009 05:00 PM PDT A compound initially isolated from a soft coral collected at Green Island off Taiwan, could lead scientists to develop a new set of treatments for neuropathic pain -- chronic pain that sometimes follows damage to the nervous system. Currently this form of pain is very poorly controlled by the usual analgesics and novel treatments are urgently required.

Growing Evidence Of Marijuana Smoke's Potential Dangers Posted: 05 Aug 2009 02:00 PM PDT In a finding that challenges the increasingly popular belief that smoking marijuana is less harmful to health than smoking tobacco, researchers in Canada are reporting that smoking marijuana, like smoking tobacco, has toxic effects on cells.

Holding Breath For Several Minutes Elevates Marker For Brain Damage Posted: 05 Aug 2009 02:00 PM PDT Divers who held their breath for several minutes had elevated levels of a protein that can signal brain damage. However, the appearance of the protein, S100B, was transient and leaves open the question of whether lengthy apnea (breath-holding) can damage the brain over the long term.

Saturnian Moon Shows Evidence Of Ammonia Posted: 05 Aug 2009 02:00 PM PDT Data collected during two close flybys of Saturn's moon Enceladus by NASA's Cassini spacecraft add more fuel to the fire about the Saturnian ice world containing sub-surface liquid water.

Link Uncovered Between Viral RNA And Human Immune Response Posted: 05 Aug 2009 02:00 PM PDT In its fight against an intruding virus, an enzyme in our immune system may sense certain types of viral RNA pairs, according to scientists.

Eating 'Ouch-less' Vaccines Protects Prairie Dogs In The Lab Against Plague Posted: 05 Aug 2009 02:00 PM PDT A new oral vaccine against sylvatic plague is showing significant promise in the laboratory as a way to protect prairie dogs and may eventually protect endangered black-footed ferrets who now get the disease by eating infected prairie dogs, according to new results. Sylvatic plague is an infectious bacterial disease usually transmitted from animal to animal by fleas.

Autism Study Finds Visual Processing 'Hinders Ability' To Read Body Language Posted: 05 Aug 2009 02:00 PM PDT The way people with autism see and process the body language of others could be preventing them from gaging people's feelings, according to new research.

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