ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

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• 'Death Stench' Is A Universal Ancient Warning Signal, Biologists Discover
• Inner Workings Of Molecular Thermostat Point To Pathways To Fight Diabetes, Obesity
• Findings Could Lead To Improved Lip-reading Training For The Deaf And Hard-of-hearing
• Cigarettes, Not Swedish Snuff Linked To Increased Risk Of MS, Study Finds
• Graphitic Memory: Advances Bring Graphite As Storage Medium A Step Closer
• In The Middle Of Brain Surgery, Patients Wake Up And Begin Talking
• Are Tigers 'Brainier' Than Lions?
• Early Results From Clinical Trials Of 2009 H1N1 Influenza Vaccines In Healthy Adults
• Global Warming Causes Outbreak Of Rare Algae Associated With Corals, Study Finds
• RNA: Protein Regulators Are Themselves Regulated
• New Sources Of Biofuel To Take Pressure Off Traditional Crops
• Hedonism As The Explanation Of Value
• Star-shaped Cells In Brain Help With Learning
• Biomarker For Rapid Relief Of Major Depression
• Suffocating Seas: Clues About Timing And Causes Of Oxygen-free Event In Cretaceous Ocean
• Endothelin Receptor May Play Role In Sickle Cell Pain
• Researchers Design Rooms With Sensors That Help Dependent People
• Ketamine Reduces Suicidality In Depressed Patients, Study Suggests
• Hormone Promises To Keep Joint Injuries From Causing Long-term Osteoarthritis
• Artificial Intelligence Helps Diagnose Cardiac Infections
• Listeria L-forms: Discovery Of An Unusual Form Of Bacterial Life
• Novel Drug Screening Method: Informative Swellings
• Tapping Geothermal Energy: New Drilling Method With Fire And Flame In The Depth
• Wine Tasting: Expectations Influence Sense Of Taste

'Death Stench' Is A Universal Ancient Warning Signal, Biologists Discover Posted: 13 Sep 2009 02:00 PM PDT The smell of death proves to be an ancient warning signal to safeguard against predators and disease contagion. Researchers found that corpses of animals, from insects to crustaceans, all emit the same death stench produced by a blend of specific fatty acids.

Inner Workings Of Molecular Thermostat Point To Pathways To Fight Diabetes, Obesity Posted: 13 Sep 2009 02:00 PM PDT Researchers have discovered a molecular circuit involving the oxygen-carrying component of hemoglobin -- heme -- that helps maintain proper metabolism in the body, providing new insights into metabolic disorders such as obesity and diabetes. This happens through a molecular pathway that allows the cell to monitor and adjust internal heme levels via Rev-erb±, creating more when heme levels fall, and slowing it down when levels rise.

Findings Could Lead To Improved Lip-reading Training For The Deaf And Hard-of-hearing Posted: 13 Sep 2009 02:00 PM PDT A new study suggests computers are now better at lip-reading than humans. Researchers found that an automated system significantly outperformed human lip-readers -- scoring a recognition rate of 80 per cent, compared with only 32 per cent for human viewers on the same task.

Cigarettes, Not Swedish Snuff Linked To Increased Risk Of MS, Study Finds Posted: 13 Sep 2009 02:00 PM PDT While smoking cigarettes appears to significantly increase a person's risk of developing multiple sclerosis, using Swedish snuff does not, according to a new study.

Graphitic Memory: Advances Bring Graphite As Storage Medium A Step Closer Posted: 13 Sep 2009 02:00 PM PDT Advances have brought graphite's potential as a mass data storage medium a step closer to reality and created the potential for reprogrammable gate arrays that could bring about a revolution in integrated circuit logic design.

In The Middle Of Brain Surgery, Patients Wake Up And Begin Talking Posted: 13 Sep 2009 02:00 PM PDT Kim Delvaux was undergoing surgery to remove a brain tumor when doctors woke her up. Her doctor talked to her about her favorite topics -- NASCAR and her kids during the surgery.

Are Tigers 'Brainier' Than Lions? Posted: 13 Sep 2009 08:00 AM PDT A wide-ranging study of big cat skulls has shown that tigers have bigger brains, relative to their body size, than lions, leopards or jaguars.

Early Results From Clinical Trials Of 2009 H1N1 Influenza Vaccines In Healthy Adults Posted: 13 Sep 2009 08:00 AM PDT Encouraging reports are now emerging from various clinical trials of 2009 H1N1 influenza vaccines, conducted by various vaccine manufacturers. Additional companies are expected to announce their preliminary trial results shortly. The early data from these trials indicate that 2009 H1N1 influenza vaccines are well tolerated and induce a strong immune response in most healthy adults when administered in a single unadjuvanted 15-microgram dose.

Global Warming Causes Outbreak Of Rare Algae Associated With Corals, Study Finds Posted: 13 Sep 2009 08:00 AM PDT Scientists have found a rare species of algae that is tolerant of stressful environmental conditions and that proliferated in Caribbean corals when the corals' more-sensitive algae were being expelled during the sea-temperature warming of 2005. The research is one of the first times that anyone has had the opportunity to conduct a community-wide study of corals and algae before, during and after a bleaching event.

RNA: Protein Regulators Are Themselves Regulated Posted: 13 Sep 2009 08:00 AM PDT Scientists in Switzerland have shown that short strands of ribonucleic acid (RNA) which regulate protein production are themselves also regulated. This additional layer of regulation opens up new perspectives for therapeutic approaches.

New Sources Of Biofuel To Take Pressure Off Traditional Crops Posted: 13 Sep 2009 08:00 AM PDT Salt-loving algae could be the key to the successful development of biofuels as well as being an efficient means of recycling atmospheric carbon dioxide, according to one researcher.

Hedonism As The Explanation Of Value Posted: 13 Sep 2009 08:00 AM PDT Friendship, knowledge, health, and prosperity are all things most of us would call valuable. But why? What is value? According to one philosopher, there is only one universal value: pleasure.

Star-shaped Cells In Brain Help With Learning Posted: 13 Sep 2009 02:00 AM PDT Every movement and every thought requires the passing of specific information between networks of nerve cells. To improve a skill or to learn something new entails more efficient or a greater number of cell contacts. Scientists can now show that certain cells in the brain -- the astrocytes -- actively influence this information exchange.

Biomarker For Rapid Relief Of Major Depression Posted: 13 Sep 2009 02:00 AM PDT It takes weeks before physicians know if a particular medication will work in treating major depression. Now scientists have developed a test to accurately predict within a single week whether a particular drug will be effective. The test is non-invasive, and takes less than 15 minutes to administer. It will allow physicians to quickly switch patients to a more effective treatment, if necessary.

Suffocating Seas: Clues About Timing And Causes Of Oxygen-free Event In Cretaceous Ocean Posted: 13 Sep 2009 02:00 AM PDT Some 119 million years ago, large portions of the world ocean were close to suffocation. The reason: acute lack of oxygen. This is documented by geological findings around the world. The exact timing and the causes of this so-called oceanic anoxic event however, are not known yet: How fast did it happen, and why? How much time did the ocean system need to recover? Geologists are seeking to find out with the help of high quality sediment cores from southern France. The obtained data could also be relevant for future climate scenarios.

Endothelin Receptor May Play Role In Sickle Cell Pain Posted: 13 Sep 2009 02:00 AM PDT Endothelin may play a role in the pain of sickle cell disease because of a change in the endothelin B receptor. The activated receptor releases endorphins to help alleviate pain. Males who experience repeated pain may not have as much of the receptor and therefore do not release as much of the endorphins.

Researchers Design Rooms With Sensors That Help Dependent People Posted: 13 Sep 2009 02:00 AM PDT Researchers in Spain are working on a project with researchers of Telefónica I+D to develop a system for locating dependent people in their environment, so that their stay and safety can be guaranteed by using intelligent environments.

Ketamine Reduces Suicidality In Depressed Patients, Study Suggests Posted: 13 Sep 2009 02:00 AM PDT Drug treatment options for depression can take weeks for the beneficial effects to emerge, which is clearly inadequate for those at immediate risk of suicide. However, intravenous (IV) ketamine, a drug previously used as an anesthetic, has shown rapid antidepressant effects in early trials.

Hormone Promises To Keep Joint Injuries From Causing Long-term Osteoarthritis Posted: 11 Sep 2009 09:00 PM PDT An existing osteoporosis drug is the first ever found to prevent cartilage loss from osteoarthritis following injury to a joint, and may also regenerate some cartilage that has been lost to osteoarthritis, according to a new study.

Artificial Intelligence Helps Diagnose Cardiac Infections Posted: 11 Sep 2009 09:00 PM PDT Researchers say that "teachable software" designed to mimic the human brain may help them diagnose cardiac infections without an invasive exam.

Listeria L-forms: Discovery Of An Unusual Form Of Bacterial Life Posted: 11 Sep 2009 09:00 PM PDT Researchers have discovered a new life form of Listeria, an opportunistic pathogen responsible for serious food poisoning. These bacteria can reproduce and proliferate as so-called L-forms. The methods to detect these bacteria should now be adapted.

Novel Drug Screening Method: Informative Swellings Posted: 11 Sep 2009 09:00 PM PDT A screening method for bioactive small molecules to treat vascular diseases and an in vivo functional test in a whole animal at the same time: researchers achieved this feat with the aid of the frog Xenopus.

Tapping Geothermal Energy: New Drilling Method With Fire And Flame In The Depth Posted: 11 Sep 2009 09:00 PM PDT With increasing depth, geothermal energy offers an almost inexhaustible potential for renewable energy. The drilling costs however, rise exponentially with depth in the case of conventional rotary drilling. A thermal drilling method, which will allow for reaching greater drilling depths in a more efficient and more cost-effective way, is currently under development.

Wine Tasting: Expectations Influence Sense Of Taste Posted: 11 Sep 2009 09:00 PM PDT Wine tastes different to those who are given information on the product before a wine tasting, tests where the test people received information on the wine before and after the tasting have shown.

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