ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

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• First Discovery Of Life's Building Block In Comet
• Engineered Protein-like Molecule Protects Cells Against HIV Infection
• New 'Biofactories' Produce Rare Healing Substances In Endangered Devil's Claw Plant
• New, Faster Way To Diagnose, Fight Flu
• New Devices Harness Carbon Nanomaterials For Drug Delivery Systems, Oxygen Sensors
• Arabic Chemists From The 'Golden Age' Given Long Overdue Credit
• Honey-bee Aggression Study Suggests Nurture Alters Nature
• Common Variation In Gene Linked To Structural Changes In The Brain
• List Of Hazardous Chemicals In Smokeless Tobacco Is Expanded In New Study
• New Method To Selectively Kill Metastatic Melanoma Cells Identified
• Microchannels Could Advance Tissue Engineering Methods
• Future Angst? Brain Scans Show Uncertainty Fuels Anxiety
• Advance Toward An 'Electronic Tongue' With A Taste For Sweets
• Hepatitis C Virus Channels Efforts Into Cell Survival
• Needle-free, Inhalant Powder Measles Vaccine Could Save Thousands Of Lives
• Cardiovascular Diseases: Researchers Have Found A Way To Treat Ischemic Pathologies
• Semantics-based Software Boosts Company Performance
• Public Overestimates Benefits Of Cancer Screening, Survey Finds
• Agricultural Methods Of Early Civilizations May Have Altered Global Climate
• Novel Treatment Reduces Swollen Livers
• Bio-Nanomachines: Proteins As Resistance Fighters
• Enzyme That Causes Genetic Diseases Investigated
• Revised Understanding Of San Andreas Fault Geometry Near Desert Hot Springs
• Officials And Public Urged To Use Latest Evidence As Guide In H1N1 Prevention And Protection Procedures
• Children With Newly Diagnosed Epilepsy At Risk For Cognitive Problems, Study Finds
• 'Green' Energy From Algae
• Interventional Radiology Treatment For Uterine Fibroids: Safe, Nonsurgical Option
• GPS Helps Locate Soil Erosion Pathways
• Magazines For Women Depict Babies In Unsafe Sleep Environments, Study Finds
• Tiny Flares Responsible For Outsized Heat Of Sun's Atmosphere
• Window Into The Brain: Diffusion Imaging MRI Tracks Memories And May Detect Alzheimer's At Early Stage
• A Plant's Arsenal Of Crystalline Darts And Sand
• Lifting Weights Reduces Lymphedema Symptoms Following Breast Cancer Surgery, Research Shows
• Ground Beetles Produce Aromas of Lemons, Oranges As Predator Repellents
• Football Injuries In US High School Athletes More Severe During Kickoff, Punting
• Gene Makes Water Striders Glide Across Water
• New Method Takes Aim At Aggressive Cancer Cells
• Researchers Find Key To Keeping Cells In Shape
• New Insights Into Limb Formation
• Biologists Demystify Elusive War Zone Bacterium
• Public Relations Pros Are Good Ethical Thinkers, Study Finds
• New Cloaking Method Could Shield Submarines From Sonar, Planes From Radar, Buildings From Earthquakes

First Discovery Of Life's Building Block In Comet Posted: 18 Aug 2009 08:00 AM PDT NASA scientists have discovered glycine, a fundamental building block of life, in samples of comet Wild 2 returned by NASA's Stardust spacecraft.

Engineered Protein-like Molecule Protects Cells Against HIV Infection Posted: 18 Aug 2009 08:00 AM PDT With the help of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and molecular engineering, researchers have designed synthetic protein-like mimics convincing enough to interrupt unwanted biological conversations between cells.

New 'Biofactories' Produce Rare Healing Substances In Endangered Devil's Claw Plant Posted: 18 Aug 2009 08:00 AM PDT Deep in Africa's Kalahari Desert lies the "Devil's claw," a plant that may hold the key to effective treatments for arthritis, tendinitis and other illnesses that affect millions each year. Unfortunately, years of drought have pushed the Devil's claw toward extinction, so scientists are scrambling to devise new ways to produce the valuable medicinal chemicals of the Devil's claw and other rare plants.

New, Faster Way To Diagnose, Fight Flu Posted: 18 Aug 2009 08:00 AM PDT Researchers are using a new and faster method of rapidly producing highly targeted monoclonal antibodies for use in diagnostic tests as well as a temporary therapy to stave off infectious diseases such as the H1N1 (swine flu) virus.

New Devices Harness Carbon Nanomaterials For Drug Delivery Systems, Oxygen Sensors Posted: 18 Aug 2009 08:00 AM PDT Two nanoscale devices recently reported in two separate journals harness the potential of carbon nanomaterials to enhance technologies for drug or imaging agent delivery and energy storage systems, in one case, and, in the other, bolster the sensitivity of oxygen sensors essential in confined settings, from mines to spacecrafts.

Arabic Chemists From The 'Golden Age' Given Long Overdue Credit Posted: 18 Aug 2009 08:00 AM PDT It is a little known fact that Arabic scientists made important contributions to the fields of astronomy, geography, engineering and mathematics, and chemistry that last to this day, a researcher reports.

Honey-bee Aggression Study Suggests Nurture Alters Nature Posted: 18 Aug 2009 05:00 AM PDT A new study of honey bees lends support to the idea that nurture (an organism's environment) may ultimately influence nature (it's genetic inheritance).

Common Variation In Gene Linked To Structural Changes In The Brain Posted: 18 Aug 2009 05:00 AM PDT Common variations in a gene -- previously shown to be associated with Retts Syndrome, autism, and mental retardation -- are associated with differences in brain structure in both healthy individuals and patients with neurological and psychiatric disorders.

List Of Hazardous Chemicals In Smokeless Tobacco Is Expanded In New Study Posted: 18 Aug 2009 05:00 AM PDT Attention all smokeless tobacco users: It's time to banish the comforting notion that snuff and chewing tobacco are safe because they don't burn and produce inhalable smoke like cigarettes. A study that looked beyond the well-researched tobacco hazards, nitrosamines and nicotine, has discovered a single pinch -- the amount in a portion -- of smokeless tobacco exposes the user to the same amount of another group of dangerous chemicals as the smoke of five cigarettes.

New Method To Selectively Kill Metastatic Melanoma Cells Identified Posted: 18 Aug 2009 05:00 AM PDT Scientists have identified a new method for selectively killing metastatic melanoma cells, which may lead to new areas for drug development in melanoma -- a cancer that is highly resistant to current treatment strategies.

Microchannels Could Advance Tissue Engineering Methods Posted: 18 Aug 2009 05:00 AM PDT Utilizing fractal patterns similar to those created by lightning strikes, researchers have created a network of microchannels that could advance the field of tissue engineering by serving as a three-dimensional vasculature for the support of larger tissue constructs, such as human organs.

Future Angst? Brain Scans Show Uncertainty Fuels Anxiety Posted: 18 Aug 2009 05:00 AM PDT Anyone who has spent a sleepless night anguishing over a possible job loss has experienced the central finding of a new brain scan study: Uncertainty makes a bad event feel even worse.

Advance Toward An 'Electronic Tongue' With A Taste For Sweets Posted: 18 Aug 2009 02:00 AM PDT In an advance toward an "electronic tongue," scientists are reporting development of a disposable, low-cost sensor that is capable of quickly and accurately identifying 14 common sweeteners based on easy-to-read color changes. The sensor could be used as a quality control device for use in the food and beverage industry, they say.

Hepatitis C Virus Channels Efforts Into Cell Survival Posted: 18 Aug 2009 02:00 AM PDT Researchers have discovered a previously unknown mechanism that allows the hepatitis C virus to remain in the body for decades.

Needle-free, Inhalant Powder Measles Vaccine Could Save Thousands Of Lives Posted: 18 Aug 2009 02:00 AM PDT The first inhalable vaccine for measles is moving toward clinical trials next year in India, where the disease still sickens millions of infants and children and kills almost 200,000 annually, according to researchers. The dry-powder vaccine is a perfect fit for use in back-roads areas of developing countries that may lack access to electricity and needles, the scientists say.

Cardiovascular Diseases: Researchers Have Found A Way To Treat Ischemic Pathologies Posted: 18 Aug 2009 02:00 AM PDT Scientists have developed a new area of research which looks extremely promising regarding the development of new therapeutic responses to ischemic pathologies and cardiovascular diseases in general.

Semantics-based Software Boosts Company Performance Posted: 18 Aug 2009 02:00 AM PDT New semantics-based software tools that accelerate the speed companies can develop or adjust their processes – while slashing costs – have resulted from a major research project.

Public Overestimates Benefits Of Cancer Screening, Survey Finds Posted: 18 Aug 2009 02:00 AM PDT A public survey conducted in Europe found that the vast majority of people overestimate the life-saving benefits of breast and prostate cancer screening, according to a new study.

Agricultural Methods Of Early Civilizations May Have Altered Global Climate Posted: 17 Aug 2009 11:00 PM PDT Massive burning of forests for agriculture thousands of years ago may have increased atmospheric carbon dioxide enough to alter global climate and usher in a warming trend that continues today, according to a new study in the journal Quaternary Science Reviews.

Novel Treatment Reduces Swollen Livers Posted: 17 Aug 2009 11:00 PM PDT A novel treatment strategy for patients with many cysts in their liver led to a surprising result. A six month treatment with a synthetic gastrointestinal hormone lanreotide significantly decreased swollen cystic livers by approximately five percent, compared to a 'wait and see' policy.

Bio-Nanomachines: Proteins As Resistance Fighters Posted: 17 Aug 2009 11:00 PM PDT Friction limits the speed and efficiency of macroscopic engines. Is this also true for nanomachines? Researchers recently used laser tweezers to measure the friction between a single motor protein molecule and its track. The team found that also within our cells, motors work against the resistance of friction and are restrained in its operation—usually by far not as much though as their macroscopic counterparts.

Enzyme That Causes Genetic Diseases Investigated Posted: 17 Aug 2009 11:00 PM PDT Researchers have conducted a research project to gain in-depth knowledge of the structure of pyruvate carboxylase when it is in solution (in the "natural" state). Pyruvate carboxylase is a metabolic enzyme that plays a fundamental role in the metabolism of fatty acids (the components of fats) and sugars. When its function is not adequately performed (for example, when mutations in the gene arise) diverse metabolic diseases of genetic origin are triggered, amongst them lactic acidaemia, hypoglycaemia, and psycho-motor retardation.

Revised Understanding Of San Andreas Fault Geometry Near Desert Hot Springs Posted: 17 Aug 2009 11:00 PM PDT The Mission Creek and Banning faults are two principal strands of the San Andreas fault zone in the northern Coachella Valley of southern California. The two faults merge at depth to form one fault zone, according to a new analysis of the fault geometry near Desert Hot Springs. The refined understanding of the fault zone has implications for regional earthquake hazards and local groundwater resources, according to a new article.

Officials And Public Urged To Use Latest Evidence As Guide In H1N1 Prevention And Protection Procedures Posted: 17 Aug 2009 11:00 PM PDT As flu season draws nearer along with the potential for resurgence in H1N1, leading infectious diseases doctors, hospital epidemiologists, and infection preventionists urge officials to base recommendations for the public and healthcare workers on scientific knowledge and frontline experience gained from the outbreak this summer.

Children With Newly Diagnosed Epilepsy At Risk For Cognitive Problems, Study Finds Posted: 17 Aug 2009 08:00 PM PDT Children who have normal IQs before they experience a first seizure may also have problems with language, memory, learning and other cognitive skills, according to a new study.

'Green' Energy From Algae Posted: 17 Aug 2009 08:00 PM PDT In view of the shortage of petrochemical resources and climate change, development of CO2-neutral sustainable fuels is one of the most urgent challenges of our times. Energy plants like rape or oil palm are being discussed fervently, as they may also be used for food production. Hence, cultivation of microalgae may contribute decisively to tomorrow's energy supply. For energy production from microalgae, KIT scientists are developing closed photo-bioreactors and novel cell disruption methods.

Interventional Radiology Treatment For Uterine Fibroids: Safe, Nonsurgical Option Posted: 17 Aug 2009 08:00 PM PDT Uterine fibroid embolization -- a minimally invasive interventional radiology treatment for women that cuts off blood flow to painful fibroids to kill the tumors -- is highlighted as an appropriate treatment for women in a new research article.

GPS Helps Locate Soil Erosion Pathways Posted: 17 Aug 2009 08:00 PM PDT A new study that examines whether reliable prediction models could be created to identify eroded waterways from digital terrain information, in order to help farmers and conservation professionals do a better job of designing and locating grassed waterways to reduce soil erosion.

Magazines For Women Depict Babies In Unsafe Sleep Environments, Study Finds Posted: 17 Aug 2009 08:00 PM PDT More than one third of photos in women's magazines depicted babies in unsafe sleep positions, according to a new study in Pediatrics. Additionally, the study found that two-thirds of sleep environments depicted in these magazines were also unsafe.

Tiny Flares Responsible For Outsized Heat Of Sun's Atmosphere Posted: 17 Aug 2009 05:00 PM PDT Solar physicists have confirmed that small, sudden bursts of heat and energy, called nanoflares, cause temperatures in the thin, translucent gas of the sun's atmosphere to reach millions of degrees.

Window Into The Brain: Diffusion Imaging MRI Tracks Memories And May Detect Alzheimer's At Early Stage Posted: 17 Aug 2009 05:00 PM PDT When we absorb new information, the human brain reshapes itself to store this newfound knowledge. But where exactly is the new knowledge kept, and how does that capacity to adapt reflect our risk for Alzheimer's disease and other forms of senile dementia later in our lives? A researcher in Israel has pioneered a new way to track the effect of memory on brain structure.

A Plant's Arsenal Of Crystalline Darts And Sand Posted: 17 Aug 2009 05:00 PM PDT Crystals are found in hundreds of plant families. Despite this, their purpose is not well-understood. Hypotheses include acting as a deterrent to herbivory, serving as a long-term storage depot for calcium, or providing extra support to various plant tissues. To help elucidate the role of crystals in plants and determine whether this role may actually be to prevent animals from munching on the plant, botanists studied the variety and locations of crystals found in the houseplant Dieffenbachia seguine.

Lifting Weights Reduces Lymphedema Symptoms Following Breast Cancer Surgery, Research Shows Posted: 17 Aug 2009 05:00 PM PDT Breast cancer survivors who lift weights are less likely to experience worsening symptoms of lymphedema, the arm- and hand-swelling condition that plagues many women following surgery for their disease, according to new research. The findings challenge the advice commonly given to lymphedema sufferers, who may worry that weight training or even carrying children or bags of groceries will exacerbate their symptoms.

Ground Beetles Produce Aromas of Lemons, Oranges As Predator Repellents Posted: 17 Aug 2009 05:00 PM PDT Researchers report for the first time that some ground beetles produce the natural repellent limonene as their major defensive chemical.

Football Injuries In US High School Athletes More Severe During Kickoff, Punting Posted: 17 Aug 2009 05:00 PM PDT Injuries can occur during a sporting competition at any time. However, new research finds that during football, injuries sustained at the beginning or middle of a game are more severe compared to injuries sustained during the end or in overtime. This finding suggests that the changes of intensity throughout competition influence risk of severe injury.

Gene Makes Water Striders Glide Across Water Posted: 17 Aug 2009 02:00 PM PDT Water striders, the familiar semi-aquatic bugs gliding across the lake at the cottage, have a novel body form that allows them to walk on water. Achieving the gliding ability required the evolution of a unique arrangement of the legs, with the mid-legs greatly elongated. Scientists have discovered the gene behind this evolutionary change.

New Method Takes Aim At Aggressive Cancer Cells Posted: 17 Aug 2009 02:00 PM PDT Researchers have discovered a chemical that works in mice to kill the rare, aggressive cells within breast cancers that can seed new tumors. These cells, known as cancer stem cells, are thought to enable cancers to spread -- and to reemerge after seemingly successful treatment. Although work is needed to determine whether this chemical holds promise for humans, the study shows that it is possible to find chemicals that selectively kill cancer stem cells.

Researchers Find Key To Keeping Cells In Shape Posted: 17 Aug 2009 02:00 PM PDT Researchers have discovered how a protein within most cell membranes helps maintain normal cell size, a breakthrough in basic biology that has implications for a variety of diseases such as sickle cell anemia and disorders of the nervous system.

New Insights Into Limb Formation Posted: 17 Aug 2009 02:00 PM PDT Researchers have gained new understanding of the role hyaluronic acid plays in skeletal growth, chondrocyte maturation and joint formation in developing limbs.

Biologists Demystify Elusive War Zone Bacterium Posted: 17 Aug 2009 02:00 PM PDT New research has made important insights into the bacterium Acinetobacter baumannii, which causes mortality rates as high as 75 percent in the Middle East. The bacterium is a significant threat to San Antonio military families, which can become infected if a family member brings the bacterium home after battle.

Public Relations Pros Are Good Ethical Thinkers, Study Finds Posted: 17 Aug 2009 02:00 PM PDT For years journalists and others have questioned the ethics of public relations practitioners and firms. People in PR, however, appear to be getting a bad rap. That's what a new study funded by the Arthur W. Page Center for Integrity in Public Communication at Penn State University has found.

New Cloaking Method Could Shield Submarines From Sonar, Planes From Radar, Buildings From Earthquakes Posted: 17 Aug 2009 11:00 AM PDT Mathematicians developed a new cloaking method, and it's unlikely to lead to invisibility cloaks like those used by Harry Potter or Romulan spaceships in "Star Trek." Instead, the new method someday might shield submarines from sonar, planes from radar, buildings from earthquakes, and oil rigs and coastal structures from tsunamis.

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