ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

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• Brain waves can 'write' on a computer in early tests, researchers show
• Scientists restore some function to cells from cystic fibrosis patients
• Newly explored bacteria reveal some huge RNA surprises
• Weight-loss proves effective cure for sleep apnea
• Human guinea pigs wary of high-paying medical trials
• Aggression-promoting pheromone discovered in flies
• Multiple myeloma patients experience high response rate with new 3-drug combination
• Stopping MRSA before it becomes dangerous is possible
• Gene module underlying atherosclerosis development discovered
• Remains Of Minoan-style Painting Discovered During Excavations Of Canaanite Palace
• More than 1,000 patients in US admitted annually for aviation-related injuries
• Earth more sensitive to carbon dioxide than previously thought
• New drug shows promise for those with clotting disorders
• Better way for computers to 'see' combines molecular biology and gaming hardware
• Cardiovascular risk in youth with type 1 diabetes linked primarily to insulin resistance
• New study cites lower rate of earthquakes along some subduction zones
• Major impacts of climate change expected on mental health
• Single-atom transistor discovered
• New gene findings will help guide treatment in infant leukemia
• Marine Reserves Can Be An Effective Tool For Managing Fisheries
• Light shed on mechanism of action of 'date rape drug'
• Microorganism may provide key to combating giant salvinia throughout Louisiana
• New mental treatment improves anxiety and depression in secondary education teachers
• New optical sensors enabling lightning-fast trace gas detectors
• Genetic studies reveal new causes of severe obesity in childhood
• New study finds barriers to pain treatment in children with sickle cell disease

Brain waves can 'write' on a computer in early tests, researchers show Posted: 07 Dec 2009 08:00 AM PST Neuroscientists have demonstrated how brain waves can be used to type alphanumerical characters on a computer screen. By merely focusing on the "q" in a matrix of letters, for example, that "q" appears on the monitor.

Scientists restore some function to cells from cystic fibrosis patients Posted: 07 Dec 2009 08:00 AM PST In an encouraging new development, scientists have restored partial function to lung cells collected from patients with cystic fibrosis. While there is still much work to be done before the therapy can be tested in humans, the discovery opens the door to a new class of therapies for this and a host of other chronic diseases.

Newly explored bacteria reveal some huge RNA surprises Posted: 07 Dec 2009 08:00 AM PST Researchers have found very large RNA structures within previously unstudied bacteria that appear crucial to basic biological functions such as helping viruses infect cells or allowing genes to "jump" to different parts of the chromosome.

Weight-loss proves effective cure for sleep apnea Posted: 07 Dec 2009 08:00 AM PST For obese men, a dramatic weight loss can be an effective way to improve moderate to severe sleep apnea, scientists. Those with severe sleep apnea when the study began benefited most from weight loss.

Human guinea pigs wary of high-paying medical trials Posted: 07 Dec 2009 08:00 AM PST New research shows that people equate large payments for participation in medical research with increased levels of risk. And when they perceive studies to be risky, they spend more time learning about the risks and nature of the study. Paper published this month in Social Science and Medicine suggests there is a "mismatch" between current research guidelines for setting compensation levels and the assumptions participants make about the levels of pay and risk.

Aggression-promoting pheromone discovered in flies Posted: 07 Dec 2009 05:00 AM PST Scientists say they have identified an aggression-promoting pheromone that controls such behavior in Drosophila, and have pinpointed the neurons in the fly's antenna that detect this pheromone and relay the information to the brain to elicit aggression. Their results provide an important first step toward unraveling the mystery of how aggression -- an innate (unlearned) behavior -- is hardwired into the brain by an animal's genes.

Multiple myeloma patients experience high response rate with new 3-drug combination Posted: 07 Dec 2009 05:00 AM PST A new three-drug combination has shown in a phase 1/2 clinical trial that it is a "highly effective regimen" in the treatment of patients newly diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a cancer of white blood cells in bone marrow.

Stopping MRSA before it becomes dangerous is possible Posted: 07 Dec 2009 05:00 AM PST Most scientists believe that staph infections are caused by many bacterial cells that signal each other to emit toxins. The signaling process is called quorum sensing because many bacteria must be present to start the process. But scientists have now determined that the very first stage of staph infection, when bacteria switch from a harmless to a virulent form, occurs in a single cell and that this individual process can be stopped by the application of a simple protein.

Gene module underlying atherosclerosis development discovered Posted: 07 Dec 2009 05:00 AM PST By measuring the total gene activity in organs relevant for coronary artery disease, scientists have identified a module of genes that is important for the recruitment of white blood cells into the atherosclerotic plaque. The findings suggest that targeting the migration of white blood cells in the development of atherosclerosis may help to reduce the risk for adverse clinical effects such as ischemia and myocardial infarction.

Remains Of Minoan-style Painting Discovered During Excavations Of Canaanite Palace Posted: 07 Dec 2009 05:00 AM PST The remains of a Minoan-style wall painting, recognizable by a blue background, the first of its kind to be found in Israel, was discovered in the course of the recent excavation season at Tel Kabri. This fresco joins others of Aegean style that have been uncovered during earlier seasons at the Canaanite palace in Kabri.

More than 1,000 patients in US admitted annually for aviation-related injuries Posted: 07 Dec 2009 05:00 AM PST The first ever published study of aviation-related injuries and deaths in the US finds that more than 1,013 patients are admitted to US hospitals with aviation-related injuries annually, and that 753 aviation-deaths occur each year. The study also reports that the largest categories of patients were occupants of civilian, noncommercial powered aircraft (32 percent) and parachutists (29 percent).

Earth more sensitive to carbon dioxide than previously thought Posted: 07 Dec 2009 02:00 AM PST In the long term, the Earth's temperature may be 30-50 percent more sensitive to atmospheric carbon dioxide than has previously been estimated, reports a new study. The results show that components of the Earth's climate system that vary over long timescales -- such as land-ice and vegetation -- have an important effect on this temperature sensitivity, but these factors are often neglected in current climate models.

New drug shows promise for those with clotting disorders Posted: 07 Dec 2009 02:00 AM PST An oral drug called dabigatran etexilate, is as safe and effective as warfarin for combating VTE, according to a new study.

Better way for computers to 'see' combines molecular biology and gaming hardware Posted: 07 Dec 2009 02:00 AM PST Combining screening techniques from molecular biology with high-performance gaming hardware advances the building and understanding of visual systems.

Cardiovascular risk in youth with type 1 diabetes linked primarily to insulin resistance Posted: 07 Dec 2009 02:00 AM PST Youth with type 1 diabetes have now been found to have abnormal insulin resistance. Having abnormal insulin resistance appears to negatively affect heart, blood vessel and exercise function in this population.

New study cites lower rate of earthquakes along some subduction zones Posted: 07 Dec 2009 02:00 AM PST As the relative speed of the plates around a fault increases, is there a corresponding increase in the number of earthquakes produced along the fault? According to a new study, the answer depends upon the type of tectonic boundary. On certain types of boundary, the efficiency of earthquake production actually depends on the fault slip rate.

Major impacts of climate change expected on mental health Posted: 07 Dec 2009 02:00 AM PST Leading mental health researchers are warning that some of the most important health consequences of climate change will be on mental health. The researchers say that climate change has the potential to have significant negative effects on those with pre-existing serious mental illness, but that there is also likely to be an increase in the overall burden of mental disorder worldwide.

Single-atom transistor discovered Posted: 06 Dec 2009 11:00 PM PST Researchers have succeeded in building a working transistor, whose active region composes only of a single phosphorus atom in silicon.

New gene findings will help guide treatment in infant leukemia Posted: 06 Dec 2009 11:00 PM PST Pediatric oncologists have identified specific genes, dubbed partner genes, that fuse with another gene to drive an often-fatal form of leukemia in infants. By more accurately defining specific partner genes, researchers expect to better predict which infants may benefit from particular treatments. Oncologists also aim to use this latest knowledge to develop new and more effective therapies for this difficult-to-treat type of blood cancer, called acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).

Marine Reserves Can Be An Effective Tool For Managing Fisheries Posted: 06 Dec 2009 11:00 PM PST Studies conducted in California and elsewhere provide support for the use of marine reserves as a tool for managing fisheries and protecting marine habitats.

Light shed on mechanism of action of 'date rape drug' Posted: 06 Dec 2009 11:00 PM PST Scientists have discovered two new metabolic pathways by which products of lipid peroxidation and some drugs of abuse, known as 4-hydroxyacids, are metabolized. The pathways were identified by a combination of metabolomics and mass isotopomer analysis. The findings shed new light on the mechanism of action of the drug of abuse gamma-hydroxybutyrate, also known as "the date rape drug."

Microorganism may provide key to combating giant salvinia throughout Louisiana Posted: 06 Dec 2009 11:00 PM PST A team of researchers in Louisiana has found that a naturally occurring microorganism acts as a natural herbicide against giant salvinia.

New mental treatment improves anxiety and depression in secondary education teachers Posted: 06 Dec 2009 11:00 PM PST Research in Spain supports the effectiveness of mindfulness, an emotional self-regulating tool that consists in focusing on what we are doing, thinking about or feeling at every moment. This psychological technique, more and more popular in the U.S., contributed to fight against psychological diseases such as anxiety, depression, concern or complaints about health, and improves emotional regulation.

New optical sensors enabling lightning-fast trace gas detectors Posted: 05 Dec 2009 09:00 PM PST A new generation of optical sensors is enabling the development of robust, long-lasting, lightning-fast trace gas detectors for use in a wide range of industrial, security and domestic applications.

Genetic studies reveal new causes of severe obesity in childhood Posted: 05 Dec 2009 09:00 PM PST Scientists have discovered that the loss of a key segment of DNA can lead to severe childhood obesity. This is the first study to show that this kind of genetic alteration can cause obesity.

New study finds barriers to pain treatment in children with sickle cell disease Posted: 05 Dec 2009 09:00 PM PST A new study found a substantial variation in hydroxyurea utilization for pain and other sickle cell disease complications in children. Barriers to its use on the part of both providers and patients were also identified.

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