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• Scandinavians Are Descended From Stone Age Immigrants, Ancient DNA Reveals
• Sleep Loss Linked To Increase In Alzheimer's Plaques
• Migrating Monarch Butterflies 'Nose' Their Way To Mexico, Neurobiologists Discover
• Diabetes Most Prevalent In Southern United States, Study Finds
• Smart Memory Foam Made Smarter: Metallic Foam Less Expensive To Make, Leading To More Applications
• Hummer Owners Claim Moral High Ground To Excuse Overconsumption, Study Finds
• Superheavy Element 114 Confirmed: A Stepping Stone To The 'Island Of Stability'
• Environmental Chemicals Found In Breast Milk And High Incidence Of Testicular Cancer
• Children Who Are Spanked Have Lower IQs, New Research Finds
• Pancreatic Cancer: Researchers Find Drug That Reverses Resistance To Chemotherapy
• Jewish Priesthood Has Multiple Lineages, New Genetic Research Indicates
• Use It Or Lose It? Study Suggests The Brain Can Remember A 'Forgotten' Language
• Scientists See Water Ice In Fresh Meteorite Craters On Mars
• Viagra Relatives May Shrink Abnormally Large Hearts
• Swimming Robot Makes Waves At Bath
• Vaccination And Testing For The Human Papilloma Virus Could Eradicate Cervical Cancer
• Catalytic Catamarans: Common Industrial Catalyst Sports Rafts Made Of Platinum
• Rough Day At Work? You Won't Feel Like Exercising
• Getting A Leg Up On Whale And Dolphin Evolution: New Comprehensive Analysis Sheds Light On The Origin Of Cetaceans
• Vitamin D Deficiency In Younger Women Is Associated With Increased Risk Of High Blood Pressure
• How Mitochondrial Gene Defects Impair Respiration, Other Major Life Functions
• Identification Of Highly Radiosensitive Patients May Lead To Side Effect-free Radiotherapy
• Nanoparticle-based Battlefield Pain Treatment Moves A Step Closer
• Cracking The Brain's Numerical Code: Researchers Can Tell What Number A Person Has Seen
• Twin Keck Telescopes Probe Dual Dust Disks
• New Strategy For Highly-selective Chemotherapy Delivery Developed; Study Points Way To Precisely Targeted Cancer Treatments
• With Map Of Potato Genome, Scientists Hope To Improve Crop Yield
• Nontuberculous Mycobacteria Lung Disease On The Rise In The United States, Study Finds
• Engineers Produce 'How-to' Guide For Controlling Structure Of Nanoparticles
• Personality Traits Influencing Weight Loss, Study Finds
• First Evolutionary Branching For Bilateral Animals Found
• HIV Vaccine Regimen Demonstrates Modest Preventive Effect In Thailand Clinical Study
• ALMA Telescope Reaches New Heights
• Gammaglobulin Treatment For Alzheimer's Disease To Be Tested
• Finding Water On The Moon Has Major Implications For Human Space Exploration
• Study Uncovers 'De-urbanization' Of America
• Ancestral Populations Of India And Relationships To Modern Groups Revealed
• Two-Thirds Of Prostate Cancer Patients Do Not Need Treatment, Study Reveals
• Denver To Barcelona: Global Cities And Greenhouse Gas Emissions
• Discovery Could Improve Hepatitis C Treatment
• Measuring The Next Successful Antennas For In-body Health Monitoring Devices
• Depression And Anxiety Disorders Of Adolescents Are Not The Same Thing
• NASA's Spitzer Spots Clump Of Swirling Planetary Material
• New Cancer Drug Test Promises Safer And More Effective Clinical Trials
• Paper Battery May Power Electronics In Clothing And Packaging Material
• Pregnant Women Need Flu Shots, Organizations Urge
• Rhododendron Expansion May Increase The Chance Of Landslides On Southern Appalachian Slopes
• Acute Impact On Brain Function In Earthquake Survivors

Scandinavians Are Descended From Stone Age Immigrants, Ancient DNA Reveals Posted: 25 Sep 2009 02:00 PM PDT Today's Scandinavians are not descended from the people who came to Scandinavia at the conclusion of the last ice age but, apparently, from a population that arrived later, concurrently with the introduction of agriculture. This is one conclusion of a new study straddling the borderline between genetics and archaeology.

Sleep Loss Linked To Increase In Alzheimer's Plaques Posted: 25 Sep 2009 02:00 PM PDT Chronic sleep deprivation in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease makes Alzheimer's brain plaques appear earlier and more often, researchers report. They also found that orexin, a protein that helps regulate the sleep cycle, appears to be directly involved in the increase.

Migrating Monarch Butterflies 'Nose' Their Way To Mexico, Neurobiologists Discover Posted: 25 Sep 2009 02:00 PM PDT Since the late 1970s scientists have studied the fascinating annual migration of monarch butterflies from across eastern North America to a single location in Mexico. Neurobiologists have now found that a key mechanism that helps steer the butterflies to their ultimate destination resides not in the insects' brains, as previously thought, but in their antennae, a surprising discovery that provides an entirely new perspective of the antenna's role in migration.

Diabetes Most Prevalent In Southern United States, Study Finds Posted: 25 Sep 2009 02:00 PM PDT Diabetes prevalence is highest in the Southern and Appalachian states and lowest in the Midwest and the Northeast of America. Researchers have used two public data sources to investigate the prevalence of diagnosed and undiagnosed diabetes mellitus at the State level.

Smart Memory Foam Made Smarter: Metallic Foam Less Expensive To Make, Leading To More Applications Posted: 25 Sep 2009 02:00 PM PDT Researchers have figured out how to produce a less expensive shape-shifting "memory" foam, which could lead to more widespread applications of the material, such as in surgical positioning tools and valve mechanisms. They have created easily processable polycrystalline foams of a nickel-manganese-gallium alloy that changes shape when exposed to a magnetic field. These shape-changing properties resemble those of the much more expensive single crystals.

Hummer Owners Claim Moral High Ground To Excuse Overconsumption, Study Finds Posted: 25 Sep 2009 02:00 PM PDT Hummer drivers believe they are defending America's frontier lifestyle against anti-American critics, according to a new study.

Superheavy Element 114 Confirmed: A Stepping Stone To The 'Island Of Stability' Posted: 25 Sep 2009 11:00 AM PDT Scientists at the US Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory have confirmed the production of the superheavy element 114, ten years after a group at the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research in Dubna, Russia, first claimed to have made it. The search for 114 has long been a key part of the quest for nuclear science's hoped-for Island of Stability.

Environmental Chemicals Found In Breast Milk And High Incidence Of Testicular Cancer Posted: 25 Sep 2009 11:00 AM PDT A comparison of breast milk samples from Denmark and Finland revealed a significant difference in environmental chemicals which have previously been implicated in testicular cancer or in adversely affecting development of the fetal testis in humans and animals.

Children Who Are Spanked Have Lower IQs, New Research Finds Posted: 25 Sep 2009 11:00 AM PDT Children who are spanked have lower IQs worldwide, including in the United States, according to groundbreaking new research.

Pancreatic Cancer: Researchers Find Drug That Reverses Resistance To Chemotherapy Posted: 25 Sep 2009 11:00 AM PDT For the first time researchers have shown that by inhibiting the action of an enzyme called TAK-1, it is possible to make pancreatic cancer cells sensitive to chemotherapy, opening the way for the development of a new drug to treat the disease.

Jewish Priesthood Has Multiple Lineages, New Genetic Research Indicates Posted: 25 Sep 2009 11:00 AM PDT Recent research on the Cohen Y chromosome indicates the Jewish priesthood, the Cohanim, was established by several unrelated male lines rather than a single male lineage dating to ancient Hebrew times.

Use It Or Lose It? Study Suggests The Brain Can Remember A 'Forgotten' Language Posted: 25 Sep 2009 11:00 AM PDT Does "use it or lose it" apply to foreign languages? Although it may seem we have absolutely no memory of the neglected language, new research suggests this "forgotten" language may be more deeply engraved in our minds than we realize.

Scientists See Water Ice In Fresh Meteorite Craters On Mars Posted: 25 Sep 2009 08:00 AM PDT NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has revealed frozen water hiding just below the surface of mid-latitude Mars. The spacecraft's observations were obtained from orbit after meteorites excavated fresh craters on the Red Planet.

Viagra Relatives May Shrink Abnormally Large Hearts Posted: 25 Sep 2009 08:00 AM PDT Compounds related to Viagra, which is already in clinical trials to prevent heart failure, may also counter the disease in a different way, according to a new study. The results hold promise for the design of a new drug class and for its potential use in combination with Viagra or beta blockers.

Swimming Robot Makes Waves At Bath Posted: 25 Sep 2009 08:00 AM PDT Researchers have used nature for inspiration in designing a new type of swimming robot which could bring a breakthrough in submersible technology.

Vaccination And Testing For The Human Papilloma Virus Could Eradicate Cervical Cancer Posted: 25 Sep 2009 08:00 AM PDT Cervical cancer could be eradicated within the next 50 years if countries implement national screening programs based on detection of the human papilloma virus, which causes the disease, together with vaccination programs against the virus, according to a cervical cancer screening expert.

Catalytic Catamarans: Common Industrial Catalyst Sports Rafts Made Of Platinum Posted: 25 Sep 2009 08:00 AM PDT Catalysts convert useless or unwanted chemicals into useful or more desirable ones. Research reveals new, important details about a common catalyst: chemically reactive platinum atoms group into rafts that float above the supporting surface, providing ample space for catalytic reactions. The new work yields insights into how to improve the industrial catalyst for oil refining, chemicals processing and environmental uses.

Rough Day At Work? You Won't Feel Like Exercising Posted: 25 Sep 2009 08:00 AM PDT Using your willpower for one task depletes you of the willpower to do an entirely different task, a new study shows.

Getting A Leg Up On Whale And Dolphin Evolution: New Comprehensive Analysis Sheds Light On The Origin Of Cetaceans Posted: 25 Sep 2009 05:00 AM PDT A comprehensive study that builds on previous phylogenetic research on cetaceans and that combines morphology, genetics, and behavior confirms that the closest living relative is the hippo and demonstrates that the closest fossil relative is Indohyus. These evolutionary relationships imply that stem whales adapted to water first, and then to carnivory.

Vitamin D Deficiency In Younger Women Is Associated With Increased Risk Of High Blood Pressure Posted: 25 Sep 2009 05:00 AM PDT Women who have vitamin D deficiency in the premenopausal years are at three times increased risk of developing high blood pressure in mid-life, according to a new study. Hypertension rose from 6 percent to 25 percent over 15 years in this study population of women average age 38.

How Mitochondrial Gene Defects Impair Respiration, Other Major Life Functions Posted: 25 Sep 2009 05:00 AM PDT Researchers are delving into abnormal gene function in mitochondria, structures within cells that power our lives. Because mitochondria generate energy from food, defects in mitochondria may affect a wide range of organ systems in humans and animals. A new study sheds light on mitochondrial biology, pointing to genes that might be targeted in future disease treatments.

Identification Of Highly Radiosensitive Patients May Lead To Side Effect-free Radiotherapy Posted: 25 Sep 2009 05:00 AM PDT Scientists have taken the first step on the road to targeting radiotherapy dosage to individual patients by means of their genetic characteristics. This work might provide the basis for personalized radiotherapy in which, with a simple blood test, doctors could select the optimal radiation dose for a particular patient.

Nanoparticle-based Battlefield Pain Treatment Moves A Step Closer Posted: 25 Sep 2009 05:00 AM PDT Nanotechnology scientists have developed a combination drug that promises a safer, more precise way for medics and fellow soldiers in battle to give a fallen soldier both morphine and a drug that limits morphine's dangerous side effects. The scientists will devise ultra-small polymer particles capable of carrying the drugs into the body.

Cracking The Brain's Numerical Code: Researchers Can Tell What Number A Person Has Seen Posted: 25 Sep 2009 05:00 AM PDT By carefully observing and analyzing the pattern of activity in the brain, researchers have found that they can tell what number a person has just seen. They can similarly tell how many dots a person has been presented with, according to new research.

Twin Keck Telescopes Probe Dual Dust Disks Posted: 25 Sep 2009 02:00 AM PDT Astronomers using the twin 10-meter telescopes at the W. M. Keck Observatory in Hawaii have explored one of the most compact dust disks ever resolved around another star. If placed in our own solar system, the disk would span about four times Earth's distance from the sun, reaching nearly to Jupiter's orbit. The compact inner disk is accompanied by an outer disk that extends hundreds of times farther.

New Strategy For Highly-selective Chemotherapy Delivery Developed; Study Points Way To Precisely Targeted Cancer Treatments Posted: 25 Sep 2009 02:00 AM PDT Researchers have created a new approach that vastly improves the targeting of chemotherapeutic drugs to specific cells and organs.

With Map Of Potato Genome, Scientists Hope To Improve Crop Yield Posted: 25 Sep 2009 02:00 AM PDT It's been cultivated for at least 7,000 years and spread from South America to grow on every continent except Antarctica. Now the humble potato has had its genome sequenced. Researchers expect that the first draft sequence of the potato genome will help improve yield, quality, disease resistance and nutritional value.

Nontuberculous Mycobacteria Lung Disease On The Rise In The United States, Study Finds Posted: 25 Sep 2009 02:00 AM PDT Nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) are environmental organisms found in both water and soil that can cause severe pulmonary (lung) disease in humans. Pulmonary NTM is on the rise in the United States, according to a large study of people hospitalized with the condition.

Engineers Produce 'How-to' Guide For Controlling Structure Of Nanoparticles Posted: 25 Sep 2009 02:00 AM PDT Researchers have learned how to consistently create hollow, solid and amorphous nanoparticles of nickel phosphide, which has potential uses in the development of solar cells and as catalysts for removing sulfur from fuel. Their work can now serve as a "how-to" guide for other researchers to controllably create hollow, solid and amorphous nanoparticles -- in order to determine what special properties they may have.

Personality Traits Influencing Weight Loss, Study Finds Posted: 25 Sep 2009 02:00 AM PDT Being too optimistic could harm weight loss efforts. Research reveals the psychological characteristics that may contribute to weight loss.

First Evolutionary Branching For Bilateral Animals Found Posted: 24 Sep 2009 11:00 PM PDT In the most computationally intensive phylogenetic analysis to date, an international research team has found the first evolutionary branching for bilateral animals. The researchers determined that the flatworm group Acoelomorpha is a product of the deepest split within the bilateral creatures -- multi-celled organisms that, like humans, have symmetrical body forms.

HIV Vaccine Regimen Demonstrates Modest Preventive Effect In Thailand Clinical Study Posted: 24 Sep 2009 11:00 PM PDT In an encouraging development, an investigational vaccine regimen has been shown to be well-tolerated and to have a modest effect in preventing HIV infection in a clinical trial involving more than 16,000 adult participants in Thailand.

ALMA Telescope Reaches New Heights Posted: 24 Sep 2009 11:00 PM PDT The ALMA (Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array) astronomical observatory has taken another step forward — and upwards. One of its state-of-the-art antennas was carried for the first time to the 5000m plateau of Chajnantor, in the Chilean Andes, on the back of a custom-built giant transporter. The antenna, which weighs about 100 tons and has a diameter of 12 metres, was transported up to the high-altitude Array Operations Site, where the extremely dry and rarefied air is ideal for ALMA's observations of the Universe.

Gammaglobulin Treatment For Alzheimer's Disease To Be Tested Posted: 24 Sep 2009 11:00 PM PDT Researchers will begin testing an intriguing new approach to slowing down the progression of Alzheimer's Disease (AD) using Intravenous Immune Globulin (IGIV), also known as gammaglobulin. IGIV is traditionally used to treat primary immunodeficiency disorders, but is not currently approved for treating AD, which is one of the leading causes of dementia in the elderly.

Finding Water On The Moon Has Major Implications For Human Space Exploration Posted: 24 Sep 2009 11:00 PM PDT The discovery of large quantities of water on the moon will have very significant implications for human space exploration, according to a UK space expert. The findings by NASA were reportedly made after researchers examined data from three separate missions to the moon.

Study Uncovers 'De-urbanization' Of America Posted: 24 Sep 2009 11:00 PM PDT More than any other populace on Earth, Americans are on the move. Because of factors such as employment, climate or retirement, 14 percent of the U.S. population bounces from place to place every year. Now, one researcher has made a vital study of how a population in perpetual motion impacts local tax bases and economies around the nation.

Ancestral Populations Of India And Relationships To Modern Groups Revealed Posted: 24 Sep 2009 08:00 PM PDT In a new study, an international team describes how they harnessed modern genomic technology to explore the ancient history of India, the world's second most populous nation.

Two-Thirds Of Prostate Cancer Patients Do Not Need Treatment, Study Reveals Posted: 24 Sep 2009 08:00 PM PDT Research involving more than 500 prostate cancer patients has revealed two thirds of cases did not require urgent treatment, due to the absence of a protein that indicates progressive disease.

Denver To Barcelona: Global Cities And Greenhouse Gas Emissions Posted: 24 Sep 2009 08:00 PM PDT Denver released the largest amount of greenhouse gases (GHG) and Barcelona the smallest amount in a new study documenting how differences in climate, population density and other factors affect GHG emissions in global cities. The study could identify ways in which cities can reduce GHG emissions.

Discovery Could Improve Hepatitis C Treatment Posted: 24 Sep 2009 08:00 PM PDT Researchers have discovered a genetic variation that could identify those people infected with hepatitis C who are most likely to benefit from current treatments.

Measuring The Next Successful Antennas For In-body Health Monitoring Devices Posted: 24 Sep 2009 08:00 PM PDT Antennas for the latest implanted medical devices are being developed in the UK. In the near future, in-body medical devices such as pacemakers will use radio frequency (RF) technology to improve healthcare for patients. A low-powered, two-way wireless communications system linking an in-body device to a monitoring system can provide up-to-the minute patient data to allow doctors to adjust treatment as soon as it is needed.

Depression And Anxiety Disorders Of Adolescents Are Not The Same Thing Posted: 24 Sep 2009 08:00 PM PDT Adolescent depression and anxiety disorders are two distinct psychiatric disorders, according to a recent study.

NASA's Spitzer Spots Clump Of Swirling Planetary Material Posted: 24 Sep 2009 05:00 PM PDT Astronomers have witnessed odd behavior around a young star. Something, perhaps another star or a planet, appears to be pushing a clump of planet-forming material around. The observations, made with NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope, offer a rare look into the early stages of planet formation.

New Cancer Drug Test Promises Safer And More Effective Clinical Trials Posted: 24 Sep 2009 05:00 PM PDT A group of scientists from Hamburg may have taken a big step towards more effective cancer drug development. They report the development of a preclinical drug test platform that would enable researchers to analyze tumor tissue for individual patient drug responses on the molecular level.

Paper Battery May Power Electronics In Clothing And Packaging Material Posted: 24 Sep 2009 05:00 PM PDT Imagine a gift wrapped in paper you really do treasure and want to carefully fold and save. That's because the wrapping paper lights up with words like "Happy Birthday" or "Happy Holidays," thanks to a built in battery -- an amazing battery made out of paper. That's one potential application of a new battery made of cellulose, the stuff of paper.

Pregnant Women Need Flu Shots, Organizations Urge Posted: 24 Sep 2009 05:00 PM PDT Eight maternal and child health information providers urged pregnant women to be vaccinated against both the seasonal flu and the H1N1 flu. The organizations partnered to issue a joint statement because the H1N1 virus has proven to be especially dangerous to pregnant women.

Rhododendron Expansion May Increase The Chance Of Landslides On Southern Appalachian Slopes Posted: 24 Sep 2009 05:00 PM PDT Research suggests that the expansion of rosebay rhododendron (Rhododendron maximum) in Southern Appalachian mountain hollows may increase the likelihood of landslides during and after intense rain events.

Acute Impact On Brain Function In Earthquake Survivors Posted: 24 Sep 2009 05:00 PM PDT New research has found that the Wenchuan, China earthquake that occurred on May 12, 2008, had an acute impact on the brain function of physically healthy survivors and poses a risk to the mental health of these survivors.

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