ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

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• Lasers From Space Show Thinning Of Greenland And Antarctic Ice Sheets
• Schizophrenia Gene Linked With Abnormal Neurogenesis In Adult And Postnatal Brain
• New Way Deadly Food-borne Bacteria Is Spread
• Trial Of New Treatment For Advanced Melanoma Shows Rapid Shrinking Of Tumors
• First Bose-Einstein Condensate With Calcium Atoms Produced
• Our Emotions Can Lead Us Astray When Assessing Risks, Says New Study
• Stimulating Sight: Retinal Implant Could Help Restore Useful Level Of Vision To Certain Groups Of Blind People
• Novel 'On-off Switch' Mechanism Stops Cancer In Its Tracks
• Hot Microbes Cause Groundwater Cleanup Rethink
• Stopping Excessive Bone Growth Following Trauma Or Surgery: New Treatment Could Help Soldiers Wounded In Combat
• Promising Photonic Devices: A Tiny, Tunable Well Of Light
• Rural Roads Dangerous For Young Drivers
• Mutations Make Evolution Irreversible: By Resurrecting Ancient Proteins, Researchers Find That Evolution Can Only Go Forward
• Rasagiline Might Slow Parkinson's Progression, Large Multicenter Study Finding
• 'Green Clean:' Researchers Determining Natural Ways To Clean Contaminated Soil
• Fungus Enhances Susceptibility Of Resistant Malaria Mosquito To Pesticides
• Genetic Discovery Could Break Wine Industry Bottleneck, Accelerate Grapevine Breeding
• Lower Lexical Recall In Bilingual Kids No Cause For Alarm
• Scientists Outline 'Safe Operating Space' For Humanity
• High-sugar Diet Increases Men's Blood Pressure; Gout Drug Protective, Study Finds
• A New Glance On Microscopic Images
• Blocking Signal Molecule Can Prevent Growth Of Large Intestine And Colon Cancer
• A Splash Of Graphene Improves Battery Materials
• Bipolar Disorder Amongst Children And Adolescents Receive Late Diagnosis
• Global Warming May Dent El Niño's Protective Shield From Atlantic Hurricanes, Increase Droughts
• Using The Immune System To Reduce Prostate Cancer Risk
• New Method Can Predict 80 Percent Of Cases Of Postnatal Depression
• No Evidence To Support Ovarian Cancer Screening, Australian Experts Agree
• Sound Waves Save Roads
• Simplifying Financial Aid Process Improves College Access For Low-income Students, New Study Shows
• Cassini Reveals New Ring Quirks, Shadows During Saturn Equinox
• Superoxides Harm Muscle Tissue And May Lead To Age-related Muscle Decline
• Transhumance Helps Vulture Conservation
• Switching Early Breast Cancer Patients To Exemestane Improves Long-term Survival, Study Finds
• Why Size Isn't The Only Thing That Matters For Data Storage
• Both Distress And Fatigue Impact Resident Physician Errors, Study Finds
• How We Know A Dog Is A Dog: Concept Acquisition In The Human Brain
• Pancreatic Fat Levels May Help Predict Diabetes
• Lotus-plant-inspired Dust-busting Shield To Protect Space Gear
• Whole-brain Radiotherapy After Surgery Or Radiosurgery Not Recommended For Brain Metastases
• 'Dust Alert' Invention Monitors Air Quality, Determines Chemical Composition Of Toxins
• New Computing Tool Could Lead To Better Crops And Pesticides
• Saying Sorry Really Does Cost Nothing
• 'Junk' DNA Cut-and-paste Protein: Discovery May Prove Invaluable In Quest For Gene Therapies
• To Regenerate Muscle, Cellular Garbage Men Must Become Builders
• Therapeutic Nanoparticles Give New Meaning To Sugar-coating Medicine
• Brain Researchers Discover Molecule Responsible For Axonal Branching
• End Of An Era: New Ruling Decides The Boundaries Of Earth's History

Lasers From Space Show Thinning Of Greenland And Antarctic Ice Sheets Posted: 24 Sep 2009 11:00 AM PDT The most comprehensive picture of the rapidly thinning glaciers along the coastline of both the Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets has been created using satellite lasers. The findings are an important step forward in the quest to make more accurate predictions for future sea level rise.

Schizophrenia Gene Linked With Abnormal Neurogenesis In Adult And Postnatal Brain Posted: 24 Sep 2009 11:00 AM PDT Scientists now have a better understanding of a perplexing gene that is associated with susceptibility for a wide spectrum of severely debilitating mental illnesses. Two independent research studies provide fascinating insight into the molecular mechanisms that link disrupted-in-schizophrenia 1 (DISC1) with the proper development and migration of neurons in the hippocampus, a brain area involved in learning and memory and associated with the pathology of schizophrenia.

New Way Deadly Food-borne Bacteria Is Spread Posted: 24 Sep 2009 11:00 AM PDT A researcher has uncovered a previously unknown mechanism that plays an important role in the spread of a deadly food-borne bacterium.

Trial Of New Treatment For Advanced Melanoma Shows Rapid Shrinking Of Tumors Posted: 24 Sep 2009 11:00 AM PDT Researchers have made significant advances in the treatment of metastatic malignant melanoma -- one of the most difficult cancers to treat successfully -- according to a new study. In the phase I extension study, researchers have seen rapid and dramatic shrinking of metastatic tumors in patients treated with a new compound that blocks the activity of the cancer-causing mutation of the BRAF gene, which is implicated in about 50 percent melanomas and 5 percent of colorectal cancers.

First Bose-Einstein Condensate With Calcium Atoms Produced Posted: 24 Sep 2009 11:00 AM PDT Physicists in Germany have succeeded for the first time worldwide in producing a Bose-Einstein condensate from the alkaline earth element calcium. The use of alkaline earth atoms creates new potential for precision measurements -- for example, for the determination of gravitational fields.

Our Emotions Can Lead Us Astray When Assessing Risks, Says New Study Posted: 24 Sep 2009 11:00 AM PDT If you find yourself more concerned about highly publicized dangers that grab your immediate attention such as terrorist attacks, while forgetting about the more mundane threats such as global warming, you're not alone.

Stimulating Sight: Retinal Implant Could Help Restore Useful Level Of Vision To Certain Groups Of Blind People Posted: 24 Sep 2009 08:00 AM PDT MIT engineers have designed a retinal implant for people who have lost their vision from retinitis pigmentosa or age-related macular degeneration, two of the leading causes of blindness. The retinal prosthesis would help restore some vision by electrically stimulating the nerve cells that normally carry visual input from the retina to the brain.

Novel 'On-off Switch' Mechanism Stops Cancer In Its Tracks Posted: 24 Sep 2009 08:00 AM PDT A tiny bit of genetic material with no previously known function may hold the key to stopping the spread of cancer, researchers in the U.S. and China report.

Hot Microbes Cause Groundwater Cleanup Rethink Posted: 24 Sep 2009 08:00 AM PDT Australian researchers have discovered that micro-organisms that help break down contaminants under the soil can actually get too hot for their own good.

Stopping Excessive Bone Growth Following Trauma Or Surgery: New Treatment Could Help Soldiers Wounded In Combat Posted: 24 Sep 2009 08:00 AM PDT A recent United States Army study found that excessive bone growth, also known as heterotopic ossificiation (HO), affects up to 70 percent of soldiers who are severely wounded during combat. The excessive bone forms within muscles and other tissues causing severe pain, reduced mobility and even local paralysis if untreated. A new study found a way to prevent HO in animal models by shutting the process off in its early stages.

Promising Photonic Devices: A Tiny, Tunable Well Of Light Posted: 24 Sep 2009 08:00 AM PDT Photonic devices promise advances in applications ranging from computing to high-speed communication.

Rural Roads Dangerous For Young Drivers Posted: 24 Sep 2009 08:00 AM PDT Results from Australia's largest study of young drivers have shown that they are at significant risk of crash on rural roads. According to researchers from The George Institute, young drivers living in rural areas are more likely to be involved in serious crashes than those in urban areas.

Mutations Make Evolution Irreversible: By Resurrecting Ancient Proteins, Researchers Find That Evolution Can Only Go Forward Posted: 24 Sep 2009 05:00 AM PDT Researchers have found that evolution can never go backwards, because the paths to the genes once present in our ancestors are forever blocked. The findings come from the first rigorous study of reverse evolution at the molecular level.

Rasagiline Might Slow Parkinson's Progression, Large Multicenter Study Finding Posted: 24 Sep 2009 05:00 AM PDT Following one of the largest studies ever conducted in Parkinson's disease (PD), researchers report that rasagiline, a drug currently used to treat the symptoms of PD, may also slow the rate of disease progression.

'Green Clean:' Researchers Determining Natural Ways To Clean Contaminated Soil Posted: 24 Sep 2009 05:00 AM PDT Researchers are working to demonstrate that trees can be used to degrade or capture fuels that leak into soil and ground water. Through a process called phytoremediation -- literally a "green" technology -- plants and trees remove pollutants from the environment or render them harmless.

Fungus Enhances Susceptibility Of Resistant Malaria Mosquito To Pesticides Posted: 24 Sep 2009 05:00 AM PDT In areas where malaria mosquitoes have become resistant to chemical pesticides, mosquito-killing fungi can be an effective tool. Fungal spores can effectively infect and kill malaria mosquitoes, even those that are resistant to pesticides. Moreover, the mosquitoes become more susceptible to the pesticides as the fungal infection increases.

Genetic Discovery Could Break Wine Industry Bottleneck, Accelerate Grapevine Breeding Posted: 24 Sep 2009 05:00 AM PDT By unraveling an unexpected twist in grapevine DNA, German researchers have shown that a long-established tool for distinguishing among Old World, New World, and hybrid varieties is unreliable. Classification matters because 19th-century hybrids that helped save the European wine industry from American pests also left a legacy of "foxy" tasting wine. This biomolecular detective work opens the way for accurate classification, accelerated breeding, and potentially the production of European-tasting wines from American species and cultivars.

Lower Lexical Recall In Bilingual Kids No Cause For Alarm Posted: 24 Sep 2009 05:00 AM PDT If your French Immersion student is scratching their tete over not being able to think of the English word for sifflet or the French word for keyboard, a Canadian researcher has a sage piece of advice.

Scientists Outline 'Safe Operating Space' For Humanity Posted: 24 Sep 2009 02:00 AM PDT New approaches are needed to help humanity deal with climate change and other global environmental threats that lie ahead in the 21st century, according to a group of 28 internationally renowned scientists.

High-sugar Diet Increases Men's Blood Pressure; Gout Drug Protective, Study Finds Posted: 24 Sep 2009 02:00 AM PDT A high-fructose diet raises blood pressure in men, while a drug used to treat gout seems to protect against the blood pressure increase, according to new research.

A New Glance On Microscopic Images Posted: 24 Sep 2009 02:00 AM PDT A German researcher suggests interpreting the images generated by Kelvin probe force microscopy in a new way.

Blocking Signal Molecule Can Prevent Growth Of Large Intestine And Colon Cancer Posted: 24 Sep 2009 02:00 AM PDT By seeing what substances and molecules affect the development of our diseases, scientists can develop drugs that prevent or cure diseases. New research has found that the signal molecule acetylcholine (ACh) is important for the progress of cancer of the large intestine and colon, knowledge that is important to factor in when developing drugs that block the effects of Ach on tumor cells.

A Splash Of Graphene Improves Battery Materials Posted: 24 Sep 2009 02:00 AM PDT Researchers have found that graphene, sheets of carbon one atom thick, improves the performance of titanium dioxide as a lithium battery electrode.

Bipolar Disorder Amongst Children And Adolescents Receive Late Diagnosis Posted: 24 Sep 2009 02:00 AM PDT A new study finds that 75% of the cases of paediatric bipolar disorder are diagnosed late – up to 18 months – due to the symptoms manifesting themselves in a different manner depending on whether the patient is a child or adult.

Global Warming May Dent El Niño's Protective Shield From Atlantic Hurricanes, Increase Droughts Posted: 23 Sep 2009 11:00 PM PDT El Niño, the periodic eastern Pacific phenomenon credited with shielding the US and Caribbean from severe hurricane seasons, may be overshadowed by its brother in the central Pacific due to global warming, according to new research. Could lead to more intense hurricanes in the Atlantic, increased opportunity for droughts in Australia and India.

Using The Immune System To Reduce Prostate Cancer Risk Posted: 23 Sep 2009 11:00 PM PDT Immune therapies have been explored as a way to treat cancer after it develops. But a new study suggests that genetic risk of prostate cancer can be reduced by rescuing critical immune system cells.

New Method Can Predict 80 Percent Of Cases Of Postnatal Depression Posted: 23 Sep 2009 11:00 PM PDT Worldwide, 13 percent of women who give birth suffer from postnatal depression, which causes a significant deterioration in a mother's quality of life and her ability to care for her baby. Now, Spanish researchers have developed a model to diagnose this illness with a predictive power of 80 percent -- the best result to date for this kind of depression.

No Evidence To Support Ovarian Cancer Screening, Australian Experts Agree Posted: 23 Sep 2009 11:00 PM PDT In an Australian first, leading experts and organizations have agreed a position statement on screening for ovarian cancer, Australia's leading cause of death from gynecological malignancy.

Sound Waves Save Roads Posted: 23 Sep 2009 11:00 PM PDT Every year European roads are built and repaired to the tune of several billion Euros. Intensive efforts are underway all over the world to get 'more road for your money' by developing better methods for both design and quality control of materials. One problem is that today there are no good methods for checking how robustly and safely the roads were built. Therefore they often don't last as long as they were supposed to and more money has to go to road construction. But now a young scientist has developed a method where sound waves can reveal what a road looks like underneath and thereby show whether it is being properly built.

Simplifying Financial Aid Process Improves College Access For Low-income Students, New Study Shows Posted: 23 Sep 2009 11:00 PM PDT More low-income students would make it to college if changes were made to streamline the complicated financial aid process, according to a new study.

Cassini Reveals New Ring Quirks, Shadows During Saturn Equinox Posted: 23 Sep 2009 08:00 PM PDT NASA scientists are marveling over the extent of ruffles and dust clouds revealed in the rings of Saturn during the planet's equinox last month. Scientists once thought the rings were almost completely flat, but new images reveal the heights of some newly discovered bumps in the rings are as high as the Rocky Mountains.

Superoxides Harm Muscle Tissue And May Lead To Age-related Muscle Decline Posted: 23 Sep 2009 08:00 PM PDT A new article shows that about 3 percent of the air we breathe gets converted into harmful superoxides, which ultimately harm our muscles by leading to the creation of a toxic molecule called "reactive oxygen species" or ROS, shown to be harm muscle tissue, and may lead to problems ranging from aging and frailty to Parkinson's disease and cancer.

Transhumance Helps Vulture Conservation Posted: 23 Sep 2009 08:00 PM PDT Researchers in Spain have shown for the first time the close space-time relationship between the presence of the griffon vulture and transhumant sheep farming in mountain passes. Transhumance -- the seasonal movement of people with their livestock -- has fallen in some parts of Spain by up to 80 percent over the past four years. The scientists say that traditional livestock farming practices are crucial for the preservation of mountain ecosystems.

Switching Early Breast Cancer Patients To Exemestane Improves Long-term Survival, Study Finds Posted: 23 Sep 2009 08:00 PM PDT New research has found that switching post-menopausal women with early breast cancer to the drug exemestane (Aromasin) after two or three years of tamoxifen rather than keeping them on tamoxifen for five years improves the chance of remaining cancer free and reduces the risk of death for at least the next six years.

Why Size Isn't The Only Thing That Matters For Data Storage Posted: 23 Sep 2009 08:00 PM PDT Minute magnetic particles, whether bonded to plastic tape or coated onto a hard disk, are the basis of modern data storage. Information is encoded in the magnetic orientation of these nanoparticles, but particles can sometimes switch orientations spontaneously, which can potentially corrupt data.

Both Distress And Fatigue Impact Resident Physician Errors, Study Finds Posted: 23 Sep 2009 08:00 PM PDT Researchers report that distress and fatigue among medical residents are independent contributors to self-perceived medical errors.

How We Know A Dog Is A Dog: Concept Acquisition In The Human Brain Posted: 23 Sep 2009 05:00 PM PDT A new study explores how our brains synthesize concepts that allow us to organize and comprehend the world. The research uses behavioral and neuroimaging techniques to track how conceptual knowledge emerges in the human brain and guides decision making.

Pancreatic Fat Levels May Help Predict Diabetes Posted: 23 Sep 2009 05:00 PM PDT Researchers have long suspected that overweight people tend to have large fat deposits in their pancreases, but they've been unable to confirm or calculate how much fat resides there because of the organ's location.

Lotus-plant-inspired Dust-busting Shield To Protect Space Gear Posted: 23 Sep 2009 05:00 PM PDT A NASA team is developing a transparent coating that mimics the self-cleaning properties of the lotus plant to prevent dirt from sticking to the surfaces of spaceflight gear and bacteria from growing inside astronaut living quarters.

Whole-brain Radiotherapy After Surgery Or Radiosurgery Not Recommended For Brain Metastases Posted: 23 Sep 2009 05:00 PM PDT Whole-brain radiotherapy should not be given routinely to all patients whose cancer has spread to the brain, according to new research.

'Dust Alert' Invention Monitors Air Quality, Determines Chemical Composition Of Toxins Posted: 23 Sep 2009 05:00 PM PDT Worried that dust from a nearby construction zone will harm your family's health? A new sensor from researchers in Israel, called 'Dust Alert', can help families and authorities monitor the quality of the air they breathe and precisely determine the chemical composition of toxins.

New Computing Tool Could Lead To Better Crops And Pesticides Posted: 23 Sep 2009 05:00 PM PDT A new computing tool that could help scientists predict how plants will react to different environmental conditions in order to create better crops, such as tastier and longer lasting tomatoes, is being developed by researchers.

Saying Sorry Really Does Cost Nothing Posted: 23 Sep 2009 05:00 PM PDT Economists have finally proved what most of us have suspected for a long time -- when it comes to apologising, talk is cheap. According to new research, firms that simply say sorry to disgruntled customers fare better than those that offer financial compensation. The ploy works even though the recipient of the apology seldom gets it from the person who made it necessary in the first place.

'Junk' DNA Cut-and-paste Protein: Discovery May Prove Invaluable In Quest For Gene Therapies Posted: 23 Sep 2009 02:00 PM PDT Scientists have identified how a protein enables sections of so-called junk DNA to be cut and pasted within genetic code -- a finding which could speed development of gene therapies. The study sheds light on the process, known as DNA transposition, in which shifted genes have a significant effect on the behavior of neighboring genes. In the human genome, rearrangement of antibody genes can enable the immune system to target infection more effectively.

To Regenerate Muscle, Cellular Garbage Men Must Become Builders Posted: 23 Sep 2009 02:00 PM PDT Scientists have found that when a muscle is injured, white blood cells called macrophages play a crucial role in its regeneration and uncovered the genetic switch that controls this process and uncovered the genetic switch that controls this process, opening the door for new therapeutic approaches to sports injuries and to diseases such as Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

Therapeutic Nanoparticles Give New Meaning To Sugar-coating Medicine Posted: 23 Sep 2009 02:00 PM PDT A research team studying sugar-coated nanoparticles for use as a possible cancer therapy has uncovered a delicate balancing act that makes the particles more effective than conventional thinking says they should be. Just like individuals in a crowd respecting other people's personal space, the particles work because they get close together, but not too close.

Brain Researchers Discover Molecule Responsible For Axonal Branching Posted: 23 Sep 2009 02:00 PM PDT The human brain consists of about 100 billion neurons, which altogether form about 100 trillion synaptic connections with each other. A crucial mechanism for the generation of this complex wiring pattern is the formation of neuronal branches. Neurobiologists have now discovered a molecule that regulates this vital process. At the same time they have succeeded in elucidating the signaling cascade induced by this molecule.

End Of An Era: New Ruling Decides The Boundaries Of Earth's History Posted: 23 Sep 2009 02:00 PM PDT After decades of debate an international body of earth scientists has formally agreed to move the boundary dates for the prehistoric Quaternary age by 800,000 years. The decision has been made by the International Commission on Stratigraphy (ICS), the authority for geological science which has acted to end decades of controversy by formally declaring when the Quaternary Period, which covers both the ice age and moment early man first started to use tools, began.

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