ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

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• Evidence Points To Conscious 'Metacognition' In Some Nonhuman Animals
• Common Pain Cream Could Protect Heart During Attack, Study Shows
• Daily Bathroom Showers May Deliver Face Full Of Pathogens, Says Study
• Steroid Injections May Help Restore Vision In Some Patients With Blocked Eye Veins
• El Niño, Global Warming Link Questioned; Possible Link Between 1918 El Niño And Flu Pandemic?
• Iraq Troops' PTSD Rate As High As 35 Percent, Analysis Finds
• For Carnivorous Plants, Slow But Steady Wins The Race
• Scientists Identify Gene For Short-circuiting Excess Mucus In Lung Disease, Common Colds
• Tapping Geothermal Energy: New Drilling Method With Fire And Flame In The Depths
• Study Identifies Which Children Do Not Need CT Scans After Head Trauma
• Dual Simulation Improves Crash Performance
• Figures Of Speech: Understanding Idioms Requires Both Sides Of The Brain
• Double Nucleus Galaxies: Ravenous Black Holes And Ripples In Space-Time Continuum
• Antioxidant Ingredient Proven To Relieve Stress
• Barcoding Endangered Sea Turtles
• AMPA Receptors On Cell Membrane Make Us Smarter
• Engineered Pea Seeds Protect Against Parasites
• Trust Your Gut? Study Explores Religion, Morality And Trust In Authority
• Widespread Occurrence Of Intersex Bass Found In U.S. Rivers
• Tuberculosis Patients Can Reduce Transmissability By Inhaling Interferon Through A Nebulizer
• Interactive, 360-degree Panoramic View Of Entire Night Sky
• Laser Treatment For BRVO Is Safer Than Corticosteroid Injections And Equally Effective, Study Finds
• RNA Interference Found In Budding Yeasts
• Understanding Implications Of Prenatal Testing For Down Syndrome
• Neurons Found To Be Similar To U.S. Electoral College
• New 'Adjuvant' Could Hold Future Of Vaccine Development
• Figurines Of Aphrodite From Roman Empire Era Discovered In Hippos
• Immediate Intervention For Patients With Acute Coronary Syndromes Not Always More Beneficial
• Climate Change Adaptation Expected To Cost 2–3 Times More Than Previously Estimated
• Depression Increases Cancer Patients' Risk Of Dying
• Wine Tasting: Expectations Influence Sense Of Taste, Tests Show
• Allergy: Solving The Mystery Of IgE
• Human Impacts And Environmental Factors Are Changing The Northwest Atlantic Ecosystem
• When Proteins Change Partners: Competition Between Proteins Maintains Cellular Balance
• Looking Deeply Into Polymer Solar Cells
• Mandatory Alcohol Testing For Truck And Bus Drivers Reduces Alcohol Involvement In Fatal Crashes
• What Do Dinosaurs And The Maya Have In Common?
• New Method Aims To Stabilize Antibodies
• Fungus-treated Violin Outdoes Stradivarius
• Strategies To Counteract Side Effects Of New MS Therapies
• High-res View Of Zinc Transport Protein Reveals Shape-shifting Atomic Interactions; Suggests Mechanism And Possible Drug Targets
• Food Habits Are More Important Than Most Important Obesity Risk Gene
• Astrophysics: High Energy Galactic Particle Accelerator Located
• Endocannabinoids, Closely Related To Active Ingredients In Cannabis Plant, Can Promote Pain
• First Complete Image Created Of Himalayan Fault, Subduction Zone
• Tuberculosis-prevention Therapy Is Cost-effective Option, Researchers Find
• Gold Solution For Enhancing Nanocrystal Electrical Conductance
• Children With Emotional Difficulties At Higher Risk For Adult Obesity

Evidence Points To Conscious 'Metacognition' In Some Nonhuman Animals Posted: 15 Sep 2009 11:00 AM PDT A comparative psychologist who has conducted extensive studies in animal cognition says there is growing evidence that animals share functional parallels with human conscious metacognition -- that is, they may share humans' ability to reflect upon, monitor or regulate their states of mind.

Common Pain Cream Could Protect Heart During Attack, Study Shows Posted: 15 Sep 2009 11:00 AM PDT New research shows that a common, over-the-counter pain salve rubbed on the skin during a heart attack could serve as a cardiac-protectant, preventing or reducing damage to the heart while interventions are administered.

Daily Bathroom Showers May Deliver Face Full Of Pathogens, Says Study Posted: 15 Sep 2009 11:00 AM PDT While daily bathroom showers provide invigorating relief and a good cleansing for millions of Americans, they also can deliver a face full of potentially pathogenic bacteria, according to a surprising new study.

Steroid Injections May Help Restore Vision In Some Patients With Blocked Eye Veins Posted: 15 Sep 2009 11:00 AM PDT Injecting the eye with the corticosteroid triamcinolone appears effective in improving the vision of some patients with retinal vein occlusion, an important cause of vision loss that results from blockages in the blood vessels in the retina, according to two reports.

El Niño, Global Warming Link Questioned; Possible Link Between 1918 El Niño And Flu Pandemic? Posted: 15 Sep 2009 11:00 AM PDT Research casts doubts on the notion that El Niño has been getting stronger because of global warming and raises interesting questions about the relationship between El Niño and a severe flu pandemic 91 years ago. The findings are based on analysis of the 1918 El Niño, which the new research shows to be one of the strongest of the 20th century.

Iraq Troops' PTSD Rate As High As 35 Percent, Analysis Finds Posted: 15 Sep 2009 11:00 AM PDT The Veterans' Administration should expect a high volume of Iraq veterans seeking treatment of post traumatic stress disorder, with researchers anticipating that the rate among armed forces will be as high as 35 percent, according to a new analysis.

For Carnivorous Plants, Slow But Steady Wins The Race Posted: 15 Sep 2009 08:00 AM PDT The existence of carnivorous plants has fascinated botanists and non-botanists alike for centuries and raises the question, "Why are some plants carnivorous?" By measuring the construction cost of carbon needed to create these plant structures and comparing it to the payback time, researchers were able to determine how beneficial a trap might be to a plant.

Scientists Identify Gene For Short-circuiting Excess Mucus In Lung Disease, Common Colds Posted: 15 Sep 2009 08:00 AM PDT Scientists have identified the main genetic switch that causes excessive mucus in the lungs, a discovery that one day could ease suffering for people with chronic lung disease or just those fighting the common cold. The discovery sheds light on the precise biological reasons the lungs in people with asthma, cystic fibrosis and other respiratory ailments clog with thick mucus.

Tapping Geothermal Energy: New Drilling Method With Fire And Flame In The Depths Posted: 15 Sep 2009 08:00 AM 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.

Study Identifies Which Children Do Not Need CT Scans After Head Trauma Posted: 15 Sep 2009 08:00 AM PDT A substantial percentage of children who get CT scans after apparently minor head trauma do not need them, and as a result are put at increased risk of cancer due to radiation exposure. After analyzing more than 42,000 children with head trauma, a research team has developed guidelines for doctors who care for children with head trauma aimed at reducing those risks.

Dual Simulation Improves Crash Performance Posted: 15 Sep 2009 08:00 AM PDT Crash tests often produce startling results. A new simulation process which factors in deformation during production as well as preliminary damage can predict the results of a crash test more accurately than ever.

Figures Of Speech: Understanding Idioms Requires Both Sides Of The Brain Posted: 15 Sep 2009 08:00 AM PDT Is it better to treat someone with kid gloves or to treat them carefully? Researchers in Italy have investigated how the brain recognizes that the first phrase means the same as the second. The researchers suggest that we use both hemispheres to understand idioms.

Double Nucleus Galaxies: Ravenous Black Holes And Ripples In Space-Time Continuum Posted: 15 Sep 2009 05:00 AM PDT It may sound like science fiction, but freakish galactic events such as ravenous black holes and ripples in the space-time continuum could be happening all around us, according to new research. Astronomers examined 50 regular galaxies to determine their composition and structure, and found that 12 of these galaxies contained a double nucleus -- that is, they had both a super massive black hole and a dense star cluster containing up to ten million stars at their center.

Antioxidant Ingredient Proven To Relieve Stress Posted: 15 Sep 2009 05:00 AM PDT A dietary ingredient derived from a melon rich in antioxidant superoxide dismutase enzymes has been shown to relieve stress. In a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial, researchers found that the supplement decreased the signs and symptoms of perceived stress and fatigue in healthy volunteers.

Barcoding Endangered Sea Turtles Posted: 15 Sep 2009 05:00 AM PDT A new article shows that DNA barcodes can quickly and accurately determine the species identity of specimens collected from of all seven endangered sea turtles.

AMPA Receptors On Cell Membrane Make Us Smarter Posted: 15 Sep 2009 05:00 AM PDT AMPA receptors are an important regulating factor in the connection between our nerve cells. However, researchers have demonstrated that it is not the amount of AMPA receptors inside the cell that are vitally important but the receptors located on the cell membrane. Changes in the strength of the connections between two nerve cells form the basis of our ability to learn.

Engineered Pea Seeds Protect Against Parasites Posted: 15 Sep 2009 05:00 AM PDT A breed of pea seeds has been created that contains antibodies against coccidiosis, a disease caused by a parasite that attacks chickens. Researchers describe the development of the GM seeds, and demonstrate their effectiveness in preventing this economically important illness.

Trust Your Gut? Study Explores Religion, Morality And Trust In Authority Posted: 15 Sep 2009 05:00 AM PDT Researchers provided a nationally-represented sample of adults with an online survey about the US Supreme Court's ruling on physician-assisted suicide. More religious participants tended to trust the Supreme Court's ability to make the right decision while the group with strong moral convictions felt distrust. And both groups, as it turned out, based their beliefs on a gut reaction rather than on thoughtful, careful deliberation.

Widespread Occurrence Of Intersex Bass Found In U.S. Rivers Posted: 15 Sep 2009 02:00 AM PDT Intersex in smallmouth and largemouth basses is widespread in numerous river basins throughout the United States is the major finding of the most comprehensive and large-scale evaluation of the condition, according to new research.

Tuberculosis Patients Can Reduce Transmissability By Inhaling Interferon Through A Nebulizer Posted: 15 Sep 2009 02:00 AM PDT A new study has found that patients with cavitary pulmonary tuberculosis receiving anti-TB medications supplemented with nebulized interferon-gamma have fewer bacilli in the lungs and less inflammation, thereby reducing the transmissibility of tuberculosis in the early phase of treatment.

Interactive, 360-degree Panoramic View Of Entire Night Sky Posted: 15 Sep 2009 02:00 AM PDT The first of three images of ESO's GigaGalaxy Zoom project -- a new magnificent 800-million-pixel panorama of the entire sky as seen from ESO's observing sites in Chile -- has just been released. The project allows stargazers to explore and experience the Universe as it is seen with the unaided eye from the darkest and best viewing locations in the world.

Laser Treatment For BRVO Is Safer Than Corticosteroid Injections And Equally Effective, Study Finds Posted: 15 Sep 2009 02:00 AM PDT Scientists have found that laser therapy is equivalent to two different dosages of corticosteroid medications for treating vision loss from the blockage of small veins in the back of the eye, a condition known as branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO). Furthermore, laser treatment was shown to have fewer complications for patients.

RNA Interference Found In Budding Yeasts Posted: 15 Sep 2009 02:00 AM PDT Some budding yeast species have the ability to silence genes using RNA interference (RNAi), new research shows. Until now, most researchers thought that no budding yeasts possess the RNAi pathway because Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the protoypical model budding yeast does not. Some budding yeasts cause human diseases, while other budding yeasts are used in research as models for more complicated organisms, in industry to create beer and biofuels, and in pharmaceuticals to produce drugs and vaccines.

Understanding Implications Of Prenatal Testing For Down Syndrome Posted: 15 Sep 2009 02:00 AM PDT With new prenatal tests for Down syndrome on the horizon promising to be safer, more accurate, and available to women earlier in pregnancy, the medical community must come together and engage in dialogue about the impact of existing and expected tests, researchers argue.

Neurons Found To Be Similar To U.S. Electoral College Posted: 14 Sep 2009 11:00 PM PDT A study has found that certain neurons, at one level, operate a little like the US Electoral College. The findings provide evidence supporting the "two-layer integration model," which attempts to explain how neurons integrate synaptic inputs. Each dendritic branch receives electrical inputs and decides on one signal to send the axon. The axon receives signals from the dendrites, much like electoral votes coming in from state elections, and a final decision is made.

New 'Adjuvant' Could Hold Future Of Vaccine Development Posted: 14 Sep 2009 11:00 PM PDT Scientists have developed a new "adjuvant" that could allow the creation of important new vaccines, possibly become a universal vaccine carrier and help medical experts tackle many diseases more effectively.

Figurines Of Aphrodite From Roman Empire Era Discovered In Hippos Posted: 14 Sep 2009 11:00 PM PDT An ancient treasure comprising three figurines of Aphrodite, the goddess of love, which was buried for over 1,500 years, was uncovered recent excavations in Israel. The hidden figurines were discovered when the researchers exposed a shop in the southeastern corner of the forum district of Sussita, which is the central area of the Roman city that was built in the second century BCE, existed through the Roman and Byzantine periods and destroyed in the great earthquake of 749 CE. According to the researchers, it was clear that the followers had wished to hide the figurines, as they were found complete.

Immediate Intervention For Patients With Acute Coronary Syndromes Not Always More Beneficial Posted: 14 Sep 2009 11:00 PM PDT For some patients with acute coronary syndromes, the strategy of immediate intervention at a medical center does not appear to result in differences in outcomes in comparison with an intervention performed the next working day, according to a new study.

Climate Change Adaptation Expected To Cost 2–3 Times More Than Previously Estimated Posted: 14 Sep 2009 11:00 PM PDT Scientists have warned that UN negotiations aimed at tackling climate change are based on substantial underestimates of what it will cost to adapt to its impacts. The real costs of adaptation to climate change are likely to be two-to-three times greater than estimates made by the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the researchers say.

Depression Increases Cancer Patients' Risk Of Dying Posted: 14 Sep 2009 11:00 PM PDT A new review finds depression can affect a cancer patient's likelihood of survival, highlighting the need for systematic screening of psychological distress and subsequent treatments.

Wine Tasting: Expectations Influence Sense Of Taste, Tests Show Posted: 14 Sep 2009 08:00 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.

Allergy: Solving The Mystery Of IgE Posted: 14 Sep 2009 08:00 PM PDT Immunoglobulin E (IgE) is the main actor in the drama of allergy. Researchers are looking at the biological role of IgE in the immune response of an organism and how a lack of control can lead to allergy.

Human Impacts And Environmental Factors Are Changing The Northwest Atlantic Ecosystem Posted: 14 Sep 2009 08:00 PM PDT Fish in US waters from Cape Hatteras to the Canadian border have moved away from their traditional, long-time habitats over the past four decades because of fundamental changes in the regional ecosystem, according to a new report. The report also points out the need to manage the waters off the northeastern coast of the United States as a whole rather than as a series of separate and unrelated components.

When Proteins Change Partners: Competition Between Proteins Maintains Cellular Balance Posted: 14 Sep 2009 08:00 PM PDT Researchers have illuminated how competition between proteins enhances combinatorial diversity during ubiquitination -- the process that marks proteins for destruction.

Looking Deeply Into Polymer Solar Cells Posted: 14 Sep 2009 08:00 PM PDT Researchers have made the first high-resolution 3-D images of the inside of a polymer solar cell. This gives them important new insights in the nanoscale structure of polymer solar cells and its effect on the performance.

Mandatory Alcohol Testing For Truck And Bus Drivers Reduces Alcohol Involvement In Fatal Crashes Posted: 14 Sep 2009 08:00 PM PDT Mandatory alcohol testing programs for truck and bus drivers have contributed to a significant reduction in alcohol involvement in fatal crashes. Based on a study sample of nearly 70,000 motor carrier (heavy trucks and buses) drivers and over 83,000 non-motor-carrier (car) drivers, the estimated net effect of these programs was a 23 percent reduced risk of alcohol involvement in fatal crashes.

What Do Dinosaurs And The Maya Have In Common? Posted: 14 Sep 2009 05:00 PM PDT One of the world's most famous asteroid craters, the Chicxulub crater, has been the subject of research for about twenty years. The asteroid impact that formed it probably put an end to the dinosaurs and helped mammals to flourish. Researchers have now studied the most recent deposits that filled the crater. The results provide accurate dating of the limestones and a valuable basis for archaeologists to research the Maya.

New Method Aims To Stabilize Antibodies Posted: 14 Sep 2009 05:00 PM PDT Researchers have developed a systematic method to improve the stability of antibodies. The technique could lead to better biosensors, disease therapeutics and diagnostic reagents and non-laboratory applications, including environmental remediation.

Fungus-treated Violin Outdoes Stradivarius Posted: 14 Sep 2009 05:00 PM PDT At the 27th "Osnabrücker Baumpflegetagen," a researcher's biotech violin dared to go head to head in a blind test against a stradivarius -- and won! The new violin is made of wood treated with fungus, and played against an instrument made by the great master himself in 1711.

Strategies To Counteract Side Effects Of New MS Therapies Posted: 14 Sep 2009 05:00 PM PDT The drawback of new immunotherapies in multiple sclerosis (MS) include severe infections that can be fatal. For example, treatment with natalizumab, which reduces the immune surveillance of the brain, can lead to the development of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML), a typically fatal form of viral encephalitis. Researchers recently employed plasmapheresis to eliminate the active pharmaceutical agent and thus clear the virus from the brain.

High-res View Of Zinc Transport Protein Reveals Shape-shifting Atomic Interactions; Suggests Mechanism And Possible Drug Targets Posted: 14 Sep 2009 05:00 PM PDT New, improved-resolution views of a zinc transporter protein suggest a mechanism for how cells sense and regulate zinc, an element that is essential for life.

Food Habits Are More Important Than Most Important Obesity Risk Gene Posted: 14 Sep 2009 05:00 PM PDT The risk of becoming obese is 2.5 times higher for those who have double copies of the best known risk gene for overweight and obesity. However, this is only true if the fat consumption is high. A low fat diet neutralizes the harmful effects of the gene.

Astrophysics: High Energy Galactic Particle Accelerator Located Posted: 14 Sep 2009 02:00 PM PDT An unprecedented measuring campaign has succeeded in precisely defining the place of origin of high-energy gamma radiation in the galaxy Messier 87. This radiation can only be produced by accelerating elementary particles to very high energies in enormous cosmic objects. Now the underlying extreme physical processes and inherent implications can be investigated in more detail.

Endocannabinoids, Closely Related To Active Ingredients In Cannabis Plant, Can Promote Pain Posted: 14 Sep 2009 02:00 PM PDT The endocannabinoids occurring naturally in the human body are closely related to the active ingredients of the cannabis plant. Cannabis has been used for thousands of years, for example to treat chronic pain. However, the fact that the endocannabinoids produced by the body itself can also be involved in the origin of pain is the astonishing result of new studies.

First Complete Image Created Of Himalayan Fault, Subduction Zone Posted: 14 Sep 2009 02:00 PM PDT An international team of researchers has created the most complete seismic image of the Earth's crust and upper mantle beneath the rugged Himalaya Mountains, in the process discovering some unusual geologic features that may explain how the region has evolved.

Tuberculosis-prevention Therapy Is Cost-effective Option, Researchers Find Posted: 14 Sep 2009 02:00 PM PDT Researchers have found that the cost of preventive antibiotic tuberculosis therapy for patients infected by human immunodeficiency virus is generally less expensive than the reported cost of treating newly confirmed TB cases.

Gold Solution For Enhancing Nanocrystal Electrical Conductance Posted: 14 Sep 2009 02:00 PM PDT In a development that holds much promise for the future of solar electricity and fuel, researchers used gold tips grown in solution to increase the electrical conductivity of cadmium-selenide nanorod crystals by 100,000 times.

Children With Emotional Difficulties At Higher Risk For Adult Obesity Posted: 14 Sep 2009 02:00 PM PDT Previous research has shown that low self-esteem and emotional problems are found in people who are overweight or obese -- but not which influences which. Research sheds light on this issue showing that children with emotional difficulties are at higher risk for obesity in adult life.

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