ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

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• Saturn To Pull Celestial Houdini On August 11
• Function Of Potential Cancer-causing Gene Product Uncovered
• New Research Provides Insight Into Ice Sheet Behavior
• A Step Toward Preventing Lung Cancer From Spreading To The Brain And New Clinical Trial Results
• Flooding And Damage From 2008 Myanmar Cyclone Assessed
• Reactions to Sept. 11 Attacks: How Power Influences Interpretation
• Dogs' Intelligence On Par With Two-year-old Human, Canine Researcher Says
• Young Early Stage Ovarian Cancer Patients Can Preserve Fertility
• Baby Bathwater Contains Fragrance Allergens
• Colon Capsule Endoscopy Diagnoses 64% Of Total Polyps Detected By Conventional Colonoscopy
• Greater Yellowstone Elk Suffer Worse Nutrition And Lower Birth Rates Due To Wolves
• No Bullies Here: Student Labels Of 'Bullying' Can Be Misleading
• HIV-blocking Gel For Women: New 'Molecular Condom' Meant To Prevent AIDS
• Potential Mechanisms To Protect Against Genetic Alterations, Diseases Discovered
• Protein Structures Revealed At Record Pace
• Two Lines Account For Most Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research, Researcher Finds
• Invasive Species Threaten Critical Habitats, Oyster Among Victims
• Sedentary Lives Can Be Deadly: Physical Inactivity Poses Greatest Health Risk To Americans, Expert Says
• Step Toward Quantum Computers: Sustained Quantum Information Processing
• Cancer Cells Are Protected By Our Own Immune System
• Mary Had A Lot Of Lambs: Researchers Identify Way To Accelerate Sheep Breeding
• Gene Signature For Cancer Stem Cells May Provide Drug Targets
• Climate-caused Biodiversity Booms And Busts In Ancient Plants And Mammals
• What You Eat Depends On With Whom You Eat
• Extinction Runs In The Family: Efforts To Preserve Evolutionary History
• Unstable Proteins Can Cause Premature Aging
• Hepatitis Healing Power Of Blueberry Leaves
• Violence Against Mothers In Bangladesh Associated With Health Problems In Young Children
• Spectacular Melting Of The Largest French Glacier
• Longer Lives Can Still Lead To Happier Golden Years, Psychologists Say
• From Fable To Fact: Rooks Use Stones And Water To Catch A Worm
• Genomic Signature In Blood Identifies Underlying Viral Infection
• New Cancer Drug Delivery System Is Effective And Reversible
• New DNA And RNA Aptamers Offer Unique Therapeutic Advantages
• New Clues About A Hydrogen Fuel Catalyst
• Looking Back At Earth: LCROSS Spacecraft Successfully Detects Life On The Blue Planet
• First Human Gets New Antibody Aimed At Hepatitis C Virus
• Is Bat White-nose Syndrome An Emerging Fungal Pathogen?
• Basic Mechanism Of Skin Cancer Development Illuminated
• Protein Folding: Diverse Methods Yield Clues
• Novice Parents Overlook Many Child-injury Risks
• From Nerve Roots To Plant Roots: Research On Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia Yields Surprises
• Abnormal Brain Circuits May Prevent Movement Disorder
• Scientists Devise Efficient Way Of Learning About Complex Corn Traits
• Ultrasound Outperforms Symptom Analysis In Detecting Ovarian Cancer
• 1930s Home Goes Green
• Universal Screening For Intimate Partner Violence May Provide Only Modest Benefits

Saturn To Pull Celestial Houdini On August 11 Posted: 10 Aug 2009 08:00 PM PDT In 1918, magician extraordinaire Harry Houdini created a sensation when he made a 10,000 pound elephant disappear before a mystified audience of over 5,200 at New York's famed Hippodrome theatre. But a vanishing pachyderm is nothing compared to the magnificent illusion to be performed by our solar system's own sixth rock from the sun on Aug. 11. On that day, the planet Saturn, with no help from either Jupiter or Uranus, will make its 170,000-mile-wide ring system disappear.

Function Of Potential Cancer-causing Gene Product Uncovered Posted: 10 Aug 2009 08:00 PM PDT Scientists have uncovered a previously unknown function of a gene product called Amplified in Liver Cancer 1 (Alc1), which may play a role in the onset of cancer.

New Research Provides Insight Into Ice Sheet Behavior Posted: 10 Aug 2009 08:00 PM PDT A new study takes scientists a step further in their quest to understand how Antarctica's vast glaciers will contribute to future sea-level rise. They describe how a new 3-D map created from radar measurements reveals features in the landscape beneath a vast river of ice, 10 times wider than the Rhine, in the West Antarctic Ice Sheet.

A Step Toward Preventing Lung Cancer From Spreading To The Brain And New Clinical Trial Results Posted: 10 Aug 2009 08:00 PM PDT Medical researchers have announced two significant advances in treating lung cancer. New research could eventually help prevent lung cancer from spreading to the brain. Researchers have also described results from two Phase I clinical trials for a drug called TH-302.

Flooding And Damage From 2008 Myanmar Cyclone Assessed Posted: 10 Aug 2009 08:00 PM PDT Tropical cyclone Nargis made landfall in the Asian nation of Myanmar on May 2, 2008, causing the worst natural disaster in the country's recorded history. Researchers now report on a field survey done three months after the disaster to document the extent of the flooding and resulting damage.

Reactions to Sept. 11 Attacks: How Power Influences Interpretation Posted: 10 Aug 2009 08:00 PM PDT A newly completed study of public reaction to the Sept. 11 attacks concludes that people in positions of power, from government officials to managers working on Wall Street to military personnel, tended to interpret the events in more abstract terms and with more certainty and positivity than ordinary individuals.

Dogs' Intelligence On Par With Two-year-old Human, Canine Researcher Says Posted: 10 Aug 2009 05:00 PM PDT Although you wouldn't want one to balance your checkbook, dogs can count. They can also understand more than 150 words, and intentionally deceive other dogs and people to get treats, according to a psychologist and leading canine researcher.

Young Early Stage Ovarian Cancer Patients Can Preserve Fertility Posted: 10 Aug 2009 05:00 PM PDT A new study finds that young women with early stage ovarian cancer can preserve future fertility by keeping at least one ovary or the uterus without increasing the risk of dying from the disease.

Baby Bathwater Contains Fragrance Allergens Posted: 10 Aug 2009 05:00 PM PDT Chemists have developed a method to quantify the fragrance allergens found in baby bathwater. The researchers have analyzed real samples and detected up to 15 allergen compounds in cosmetics and personal hygiene products.

Colon Capsule Endoscopy Diagnoses 64% Of Total Polyps Detected By Conventional Colonoscopy Posted: 10 Aug 2009 05:00 PM PDT Capsule endoscopy for exploring the colon in a minimally invasive manner diagnoses 64% of all lesions located by means of conventional colonoscopy. The endoscopy capsule for exploring the colon is a device which houses two cameras that enable pictures to be taken in front and behind as it passes through the colon - at a rate of 4 images per second.

Greater Yellowstone Elk Suffer Worse Nutrition And Lower Birth Rates Due To Wolves Posted: 10 Aug 2009 05:00 PM PDT Wolves have caused elk in the Greater Yellowstone ecosystem to change their behavior and foraging habits so much so that herds are having fewer calves, mainly due to changes in their nutrition.

No Bullies Here: Student Labels Of 'Bullying' Can Be Misleading Posted: 10 Aug 2009 05:00 PM PDT While a number of researchers have examined bullying, particularly in the wake of high-profile school shootings, these researchers largely ignore the ways that bullying is actually defined by students.

HIV-blocking Gel For Women: New 'Molecular Condom' Meant To Prevent AIDS Posted: 10 Aug 2009 02:00 PM PDT Scientists have developed a new kind of "molecular condom" to protect women from AIDS in Africa and other impoverished areas. Before sex, women would insert a vaginal gel that turns semisolid in the presence of semen, trapping AIDS virus particles in a microscopic mesh so they can't infect vaginal cells.

Potential Mechanisms To Protect Against Genetic Alterations, Diseases Discovered Posted: 10 Aug 2009 02:00 PM PDT Peering into the DNA of tiny yeast, researchers have pinpointed a large number of genes that can prevent a type of genetic rearrangement that may lead to cancer and other diseases.

Protein Structures Revealed At Record Pace Posted: 10 Aug 2009 02:00 PM PDT The structure of a protein in days -- not months or years -- ushers in a new era in genomics research. Scientists have developed a high-throughput protein pipeline that could expedite the development of biofuels, and elucidate how proteins carry out life's vital functions.

Two Lines Account For Most Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research, Researcher Finds Posted: 10 Aug 2009 02:00 PM PDT For the past eight years, scientists who wanted to use federal funds for research on human embryonic stem cells had to restrict their studies to 21 cell lines approved by the National Institutes of Health. But an analysis suggests that only two of those lines have been used routinely.

Invasive Species Threaten Critical Habitats, Oyster Among Victims Posted: 10 Aug 2009 02:00 PM PDT A study of oyster reefs in a once-pristine California coastal estuary found them devastated by invasive Atlantic Coast crabs and snails, providing new evidence of the consequences when human activities move species beyond their natural borders.

Sedentary Lives Can Be Deadly: Physical Inactivity Poses Greatest Health Risk To Americans, Expert Says Posted: 10 Aug 2009 02:00 PM PDT As many as 50 million Americans are living sedentary lives, putting them at increased risk of health problems and even early death, a leading expert in exercise science says.

Step Toward Quantum Computers: Sustained Quantum Information Processing Posted: 10 Aug 2009 11:00 AM PDT Raising prospects for building a practical quantum computer, physicists have demonstrated sustained, reliable information processing operations on electrically charged atoms (ions). The new work overcomes significant hurdles in scaling up ion-trapping technology from small demonstrations to larger quantum processors.

Cancer Cells Are Protected By Our Own Immune System Posted: 10 Aug 2009 11:00 AM PDT During the very first few days of development of a cancer, our immune system recognizes cancer cells not as abnormal cells requiring eradication but as cells of the body that need to be protected, new research reveals.

Mary Had A Lot Of Lambs: Researchers Identify Way To Accelerate Sheep Breeding Posted: 10 Aug 2009 11:00 AM PDT Mary had a little lamb, but only once a year. However, researchers have discovered an unusual form of a gene that prompts ewes to breed out of season as well as conceive at younger ages and more frequently.

Gene Signature For Cancer Stem Cells May Provide Drug Targets Posted: 10 Aug 2009 11:00 AM PDT A subset of tumor cells that remain after a woman with breast cancer undergoes treatment with either anti-cancer or anti-hormone therapy shows a "gene signature" that could be used to define targets for developing new drugs against the disease.

Climate-caused Biodiversity Booms And Busts In Ancient Plants And Mammals Posted: 10 Aug 2009 11:00 AM PDT A period of global warming from 53 million to 47 million years ago strongly influenced plants and animals, spurring a biodiversity boom in western North America, researchers report.

What You Eat Depends On With Whom You Eat Posted: 10 Aug 2009 11:00 AM PDT Women tend to choose foods with a lower caloric value when dining with men, but not when they dine with other women.

Extinction Runs In The Family: Efforts To Preserve Evolutionary History Posted: 10 Aug 2009 08:00 AM PDT An analysis of 200 million years of history for marine clams found that vulnerability to extinction runs in evolutionary families, even when the losses result form ongoing, background rates of extinction.

Unstable Proteins Can Cause Premature Aging Posted: 10 Aug 2009 08:00 AM PDT The normal aging process has long been linked to problems with cell respiration, the process through which the cells extract energy from nutrients. Researchers have now shown how certain proteins that are synthesized in the cellular mitochondria -- popularly known as the cells' power plants -- become unstable and disintegrate, which in turn can impair cell respiration and cause premature aging.

Hepatitis Healing Power Of Blueberry Leaves Posted: 10 Aug 2009 08:00 AM PDT A chemical found in blueberry leaves has shown a strong effect in blocking the replication of the hepatitis C virus, opening up a new avenue for treating chronic HCV infections, which affect 200 million people worldwide and can eventually lead to cirrhosis and liver cancer.

Violence Against Mothers In Bangladesh Associated With Health Problems In Young Children Posted: 10 Aug 2009 08:00 AM PDT Almost half of Bangladeshi women with young children experience violence from their husbands, and their children appear to have a higher risk of recent respiratory infections and diarrhea, according to a new report.

Spectacular Melting Of The Largest French Glacier Posted: 10 Aug 2009 08:00 AM PDT Located over 12 000 kilometers from the Alps, the Kerguelen Islands are home to the largest French glacier, the Cook ice cap (which had an area of around 500 km2 in 1963). By combining historical information with recent satellite data, glaciologists have observed increasingly rapid shrinkage of the ice. Over the last 40 years, the Cook ice cap has thinned by around 1.5 meters per year, its area has decreased by 20%, and retreat has been twice as rapid since 1991.

Longer Lives Can Still Lead To Happier Golden Years, Psychologists Say Posted: 10 Aug 2009 08:00 AM PDT As more people live well into their 80s and 90s, it's reassuring to know that most people get happier as they age and exert more emotional control than younger adults, according to researchers.

From Fable To Fact: Rooks Use Stones And Water To Catch A Worm Posted: 10 Aug 2009 05:00 AM PDT In Aesop's fable, "the crow and the pitcher," a thirsty crow uses stones to raise the level of water in a pitcher to quench its thirst. A new study demonstrates that rooks, birds belonging to the corvid family, are able to solve complex problems using tools and can easily master the same technique demonstrated in Aesop's fable.

Genomic Signature In Blood Identifies Underlying Viral Infection Posted: 10 Aug 2009 05:00 AM PDT Scientists have identified a genomic "signature" in circulating blood that reveals exposure to common upper respiratory viruses, like the cold or flu, even before symptoms appear. The tell-tale viral signature reflects a set of subtle but robust changes in genes that are activated as the body responds to infection.

New Cancer Drug Delivery System Is Effective And Reversible Posted: 10 Aug 2009 05:00 AM PDT Cancer drugs must be effective. But they must also target cancer cells and spare healthy cells. And -- ideally -- they'll come with an easy antidote. Researchers report that they have developed a cancer drug delivery system that achieves all of the above.

New DNA And RNA Aptamers Offer Unique Therapeutic Advantages Posted: 10 Aug 2009 05:00 AM PDT A novel class of drugs composed of single strands of DNA or RNA, called aptamers, can bind protein targets with a high strength and specificity and are currently in clinical development as treatments for a broad range of common diseases, as described in a comprehensive review.

New Clues About A Hydrogen Fuel Catalyst Posted: 10 Aug 2009 05:00 AM PDT To use hydrogen as a clean energy source, some engineers want to pack it into a larger molecule, rather than compressing the gas into a tank. But getting hydrogen out of a molecule requires a catalyst. Now, researchers reveal new details about one such rhodium-based catalyst. The results are a step toward designing catalysts for use in hydrogen energy applications such as fuel cells.

Looking Back At Earth: LCROSS Spacecraft Successfully Detects Life On The Blue Planet Posted: 10 Aug 2009 02:00 AM PDT NASA's LCROSS spacecraft has successfully completed its first Earth-look calibration of its science payload. During the Earth observations, the spacecraft's spectrometers were able to detect the signatures of the Earth's water, ozone, methane, oxygen, carbon dioxide and possibly vegetation.

First Human Gets New Antibody Aimed At Hepatitis C Virus Posted: 10 Aug 2009 02:00 AM PDT A Phase 1 clinical trial of a human monoclonal antibody that neutralizes the hepatitis C virus (HCV) has begun. The trial will include 30 healthy volunteers and will test the safety and activity of the monoclonal antibody. More than 3.2 million Americans are chronically infected with HCV, which attacks the liver and can lead to liver failure, killing 10,000 annually.

Is Bat White-nose Syndrome An Emerging Fungal Pathogen? Posted: 10 Aug 2009 02:00 AM PDT New research provides even more evidence that a previously undescribed, cold-loving fungus is associated with white-nose syndrome, a condition linked to the deaths of up to 1,000,000 cave-hibernating bats in the northeastern and mid-Atlantic states. Since the winter of 2006-2007, bat populations plummeted from 80 to 97 percent at surveyed bat-hibernation caves, called hibernacula.

Basic Mechanism Of Skin Cancer Development Illuminated Posted: 10 Aug 2009 02:00 AM PDT Scientists reveal the function of a protein in the Ras signalling pathway. Their findings provide the basis for research on novel therapeutic strategies in Ras-induced skin cancers, e.g. melanoma.

Protein Folding: Diverse Methods Yield Clues Posted: 10 Aug 2009 02:00 AM PDT Physicists have written the next chapter in an innovative approach for studying the forces that shape proteins. The new research illustrates the value of studying proteins with a new method that uses the tools of nanotechnology.

Novice Parents Overlook Many Child-injury Risks Posted: 10 Aug 2009 02:00 AM PDT Researchers report that new parents identified less than half of the safety hazards in a simulated home environment, and most perceived that their children were less vulnerable to injuries than other children.

From Nerve Roots To Plant Roots: Research On Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia Yields Surprises Posted: 09 Aug 2009 11:00 PM PDT Sprouting. Branching. Pruning. Neuroscientists have borrowed heavily from botanists to describe the way that neurons grow, but analogies between the growth of neurons and plants may be more than superficial. A new study suggests that neurons and plant root cells may grow using a similar mechanism.

Abnormal Brain Circuits May Prevent Movement Disorder Posted: 09 Aug 2009 11:00 PM PDT Specific changes in brain pathways may counteract genetic mutations for the movement disorder dystonia, according to new research. Few people who inherit dystonia genes display symptoms -- namely sustained muscle contractions and involuntary gestures -- and the study provides a possible explanation. This result could lead to new treatments for the estimated 500,000 North Americans diagnosed with dystonia.

Scientists Devise Efficient Way Of Learning About Complex Corn Traits Posted: 09 Aug 2009 11:00 PM PDT There's no "silver bullet" gene or gene region that controls so-called complex traits in maize, commonly known as corn. Instead, crop scientists show that lots of small changes in a number of gene regions affect complex traits -- like flowering time or reproductive ability -- in corn.

Ultrasound Outperforms Symptom Analysis In Detecting Ovarian Cancer Posted: 09 Aug 2009 11:00 PM PDT Doctors compared symptom analysis to ultrasound in predicting ovarian cancer. They selected 272 women participating in annual trans-vaginal screening (TVS) from 31,748 women enrolled in a free screening project, comparing symptom results to ultrasound and surgical pathology findings.

1930s Home Goes Green Posted: 09 Aug 2009 11:00 PM PDT A 1930s house built in 2008 is about to undergo the first of three energy efficiency upgrades which will ultimately convert an energy inefficient house into a zero carbon home designed to meet the Government's 2016 carbon dioxide targets for all new housing. The results of this research will be relevant to millions of householders across the UK.

Universal Screening For Intimate Partner Violence May Provide Only Modest Benefits Posted: 09 Aug 2009 11:00 PM PDT New research suggests that universal intimate partner violence (IPV) screening in health-care settings does not result in significant changes in subsequent reports of IPV or quality of life.

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