ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

Stanford Writes In World's Smallest Letters Posted: 31 Jan 2009 05:00 PM PST Stanford researchers have reclaimed bragging rights for creating the world's smallest writing, a distinction the university first gained in 1985 and lost in 1990. How small is the writing? The letters in the words are assembled from subatomic sized bits as small as 0.3 nanometers, or roughly one third of a billionth of a meter.

Blue Light Destroys Antibiotic-resistant Staph Infection Posted: 31 Jan 2009 05:00 PM PST Two common strains of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, commonly known as MRSA, were virtually eradicated in the laboratory by exposing them to a wavelength of blue light, in a process called photo-irradiation.

Fewer Days Of Extreme Cold And More Days Of Extreme Heat In Europe Posted: 31 Jan 2009 05:00 PM PST Scientists have selected 262 European observatories which analyzed the series of minimum and maximum daily temperatures from 1955 to 1998 to estimate trend variations in extreme temperature events. According to the study, in Europe days of extreme cold are decreasing and days of extreme heat increasing. From 0.5ºC to 1ºC in the average minimum temperature, and from 0.5ºC to 2ºC in the average maximum temperature.

Skin Color Studies On Tadpoles Lead To Cancer Advance Posted: 31 Jan 2009 05:00 PM PST The humble tadpole could provide the key to developing effective anti-skin cancer drugs, thanks to a new discovery.

Quantum Dots May Be Toxic To Cells And Environment Under Certain Conditions Posted: 31 Jan 2009 05:00 PM PST Researchers in Texas are reporting that quantum dots (QDs) -- a product of the revolution in nanotechnology increasingly used in electronics, solar cells, and medical imaging devices -- may be toxic to cells under acidic or alkaline conditions. Their study is the first to report on how different pH levels may affect the safety of QDs.

No Such Thing As A 'Born Leader,' Study In Fish Finds Posted: 31 Jan 2009 05:00 PM PST Followers are just as important to good leadership as are the leaders themselves, reveals a new study of stickleback fish. By randomly pairing fish of varying degrees of "boldness," the researchers showed that each member of a pair adopts the role of leader or follower. More importantly, they found, the behavior of each member of the pair is strongly influenced by its partner.

Chemists Shed Light On Health Benefits Of Garlic Posted: 31 Jan 2009 11:00 AM PST Researchers have widely believed that the organic compound, allicin -- which gives the pungent vegetable its aroma and flavor -- acts as an antioxidant. But until now it hasn't been clear how allicin works, or how it stacks up compared to more common antioxidants such as Vitamin E and coenzyme Q10, which stop the damaging effects of radicals. Researchers now trace benefits to acid produced in the decomposing organic compound.

'Healthy' Obesity May Be Explained By Newly Identified Protein Posted: 31 Jan 2009 11:00 AM PST Mice whose fat cells were allowed to grow larger than fat cells in normal mice developed "healthy" obesity when fed a high-fat diet, researchers found in a new study.

Genes Linked To Parkinson's Side Effects Identified Posted: 31 Jan 2009 11:00 AM PST What causes motor complications of Parkinson's treatment? Researchers have now identified two molecules whose expression in the brain is altered in the brains of animals with side effects related to Parkinson's disease. The results may lead to new approaches to the treatment of these side effects in Parkinson's patients.

Lung Transplants: Hospitals Doing More Transplants Are Better And Safer, Study Suggests Posted: 31 Jan 2009 11:00 AM PST Transplant surgeons have evidence that hospitals performing at least 20 lung transplant procedures a year, on average, have the best overall patient survival rates and lowest number of deaths from the complex surgery.

Freak Waves May Be Sinking Ships Off The Coast Of Japan Posted: 31 Jan 2009 11:00 AM PST On 23 June 2008, the Suwa Maru No. 58, a fishing boat with 20 crew members, sank in seemingly moderate sea conditions of Cape Inubosaki, Japan. Reports from the investigators indicated that although reported wave heights were between 2 and 3 meters (6.5 and 9.8 feet), the ship may have encountered abnormal waves twice, sinking the ship about 10 minutes after being hit by the initial wave.

Language Performance And Differences In Brain Activity Possibly Affected By Sex Posted: 31 Jan 2009 11:00 AM PST In a new fMRI study researchers found differences among male and female groups on activation strength linked to verbal fluency (words generation).

Bird Song Discoveries May Lead To Refinement Of Darwinian Theory Posted: 31 Jan 2009 05:00 AM PST For one professor, the songs birds sing are more than a pleasant part of a spring day. They are a window into how communication works in the natural world. A birdsong is more than just an encapsulated package of information, it is "a behavior frozen in time."

New Pathway Is Common Thread In Age-related Neurodegenerative Diseases Posted: 31 Jan 2009 05:00 AM PST How are neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's initiated, and why is age the major risk factor? A recent study of a protein called MOCA (Modifier of Cell Adhesion) provides new clues to the answers of these fundamental questions.

Surprising Lion Stronghold Uncovered In War-torn Central Africa Posted: 31 Jan 2009 05:00 AM PST Times are tough for wildlife living at the frontier between Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Armies are reportedly encamped in a national park and wildlife preserve on the Congolese side, while displaced herders and their cattle have settled in an adjoining Ugandan park.

Periodontal Treatment Doesn't Reduce Preterm Birth Risk, Study Shows Posted: 31 Jan 2009 05:00 AM PST Despite an apparent link between gum disease and preterm births, standard periodontal treatment does not decrease the risk of preterm birth. Nor is the treatment enough to halt periodontal disease progression in pregnant women, according to new research.

Call To Action: Running Out Of Options To Fight Ever-changing 'Super Bugs' Posted: 31 Jan 2009 05:00 AM PST People are dying from "super bugs" because our antibiotic arsenal has run dry, leaving the world without sufficient weapons to fight ever-changing bacteria, warn infectious disease researchers.

Imaging Study Illustrates How Memories Change In The Brain Over Time Posted: 31 Jan 2009 05:00 AM PST A new brain imaging study illustrates what happens to memories as time goes by. The study shows that distinct brain structures are involved in recalling recent and older events.

High Hormone Levels In Women May Lead To Infidelity, Study Shows Posted: 30 Jan 2009 05:00 PM PST Women with high levels of the sex hormone oestradiol may engage in opportunistic mating, according to a new study.

How Ebola Virus Avoids The Immune System Posted: 30 Jan 2009 05:00 PM PST Researchers have likely found one reason why the Ebola virus is such a powerful, deadly, and effective virus. Using a cell culture model for Ebola virus infection, they have discovered that the virus disables a cellular protein called tetherin that normally can block the spread of virus from cell to cell.

Help Possible For People Obsessed With Imaginary Physical Flaws Posted: 30 Jan 2009 05:00 PM PST Worrying about a bad hair day or idly wishing for a more-perfect profile: we've all been there. However, people suffering from body dysmorphic disorder go far beyond that, obsessing over exaggerated or even imaginary physical defects, to the point where it affects their ability to work, attend school or have ordinary social contacts.

Umbilical Cord Protein Analysis Detects Early Onset Infection Posted: 30 Jan 2009 05:00 PM PST Researchers have identified proteins associated with early onset neonatal sepsis (EONS), a stealthy bacterial infection linked to premature birth, illness and death. Using protein analysis, the researchers have found the biomarkers that can provide key information on how EONS develops.

Although Our Genetics Differ Significantly, We All Look Alike Posted: 30 Jan 2009 05:00 PM PST The genetic variation within a species can be significant, but very little of that variation results in clear differences in morphology or other phenotypes. Much of the diversity remains hidden 'under the surface' in buffered form.

Did I See What I Think I Saw? Posted: 30 Jan 2009 05:00 PM PST Research increasingly suggests that eyewitness testimony may not be as accurate as we would like it to be. A new study examining how false information following a recall test affects volunteers' memories of a witnessed event suggests that recalled information is prone to distortion. These results suggest that the recall test may have improved subjects' ability to learn the false information -- that it enhanced learning of new and erroneous information.

Dinosaur Fossils Fit Perfectly Into The Evolutionary Tree Of Life, Study Finds Posted: 30 Jan 2009 02:00 PM PST A recent study by researchers in England has found that scientists' knowledge of the evolution of dinosaurs is remarkably complete.

Autism Spectrum Disorder May Be More Prevalent Among Children Born Very Prematurely Posted: 30 Jan 2009 02:00 PM PST Children born more than three months premature, are at three times the risk for screening positive on the modified checklist for autism in toddlers (M-CHAT). Children who screen positive on M-CHAT may be at greater risk for developing autism.

Simple Reasoning Strategies Can Be As Precise As Complex Ones Posted: 30 Jan 2009 02:00 PM PST We go into a restaurant with the aim of eating healthily. The menu does not tell us much about fats, salt or additives contained in the dishes. So how do we make the best decision? Psychologists have analyzed the influence that inferences about missing information can have on the accuracy of our decisions.

New Function Of Protein In Cellular Respiration Identified Posted: 30 Jan 2009 02:00 PM PST Researchers have found that the protein Stat3 plays a key role in regulating mitochondria, the energy-producing machines of cells. This discovery could one day lead to the development of new treatments for heart disease to boost energy in failing heart muscle or to master the abnormal metabolism of cancer.

Capture Of Nanomagnetic 'Fingerprints' A Boost For Next-generation Information Storage Media Posted: 30 Jan 2009 02:00 PM PST A technique of capturing the magnetic "fingerprints" of magnetic nanostructures -- even when they are buried within the boards and junctions of an electronic device -- has been developed. The technique should serve as a valuable tool in the development of next-generation storage and recording media by contributing to the understanding of how to encode information with nanomagnetic arrays.

Dog Owners More Likely To Share Germs With Pets By Not Washing Hands Than By Sleeping With Dog Posted: 30 Jan 2009 02:00 PM PST Dog owners who sleep with their pet or permit licks on the face are in good company. Surveys show that more than half of owners bond with their pets in these ways. Research done by a veterinarian found that these dog owners are no more likely to share the same strains of E. coli bacteria with their pets than are other dog owners.

Black Hole Outflows From Centaurus A Posted: 30 Jan 2009 11:00 AM PST Astronomers have a new insight into the active galaxy Centaurus A, as the jets and lobes emanating from the central black hole have been imaged at submillimeter wavelengths for the first time.

New Disease, Comparable To BSE, Created In Laboratory Mice Posted: 30 Jan 2009 11:00 AM PST Scientists have created a new disease, comparable to BSE, in laboratory mice. They have shown that exchanging just two amino acids in the structure of the prion protein is enough to trigger a disease.

Compound That Frees Trapped Cholesterol Identified Posted: 30 Jan 2009 11:00 AM PST Researchers have identified in mice a compound that liberates cholesterol that has inappropriately accumulated to excessive levels inside cells.

Exercise No Danger For Joints: Non-Elite Level Activity Does Not Increase Risk Of Osteoarthritis, Review Suggests Posted: 30 Jan 2009 11:00 AM PST There is no good evidence supporting a harmful effect of exercise on joints in the setting of normal joints and regular exercise, according to a review of studies. Researchers reviewed existing studies on the relationship between regular exercise and osteoarthritis (OA) and concluded that in the absence of existing joint injury there is no increased risk of OA from exercise.

The Dead Sea: Tectonic Concurrence Below Ten Kilometers Of Sediments Posted: 30 Jan 2009 11:00 AM PST The Dead Sea lies in a basin structure situated below the sea level. This deep subsidence is a result of a tectonic concurrence between processes in the upper lithosphere that led to subsiding and a compensating upward flow of rocks in the deeper layers of the lithosphere.

What Happens When We Sleep Posted: 30 Jan 2009 11:00 AM PST Lack of sleep is a common complaint but for many, falling asleep involuntarily during the day poses a very real and dangerous problem. A new study demonstrates interestingly, that sleep-wake states are regulated by two different types of nerve cells (neurons), melanin-concentrating hormone neurons and orexin neurons, which occupy the same region of the brain but perform opposite functions.

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ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

Low–cost LEDs May Slash Household Electric Bills Within Five Years Posted: 30 Jan 2009 08:00 AM PST A new way of making LEDs could see household lighting bills reduced by up to 75% within five years.

Working Artificial Nerve Networks Under Development Posted: 30 Jan 2009 08:00 AM PST Scientists hope to learn how to grow nerve networks that perform as logic circuits. They have already hooked brains directly to computers by means of metal electrodes, in the hope of both measuring what goes on inside the brain and eventually healing conditions such as blindness or epilepsy. In the future, the interface between brain and artificial system might be based on nerve cells grown for that purpose.

Termite Insecticide Found To Be Potent Greenhouse Gas Posted: 30 Jan 2009 08:00 AM PST An insecticide used to fumigate termite-infested buildings is a strong greenhouse gas that lives in the atmosphere nearly 10 times longer than previously thought,new research has found.

Proton Pump Inhibitors Increase Risk Of Heart Attacks For Patients On Common Cardiac Drug, Study Shows Posted: 30 Jan 2009 08:00 AM PST Patients taking the common cardiac drug clopidogrel following a heart attack are at a significantly higher risk of a recurrence if they are also taking widely used acid-lowering medications called proton pump inhibitors, a new study has found.

New Questions Raised About Controversial Plastics Chemical Bisphenol A Posted: 30 Jan 2009 08:00 AM PST A new study challenges common assumptions about the chemical bisphenol A (BPA), by showing that in some people, surprisingly high levels remain in the body even after fasting for as long as 24 hours. The finding suggests that BPA exposure may come from non-food sources, or that BPA is not rapidly metabolized, or both. Controversy around BPA is mounting.

Women Have More Nightmares Than Men, Study Shows Posted: 30 Jan 2009 08:00 AM PST A researcher was inspired by her own nightmares and a chance encounter at a lecture to examine more closely the stuff that dreams are made of. Her PhD study has focused on an astounding discovery that women suffer more nightmares then men.

Cassini Captures Changes In Titan's Lakes Posted: 30 Jan 2009 05:00 AM PST Recent images of Titan from NASA's Cassini spacecraft affirm the presence of lakes of liquid hydrocarbons by capturing changes in the lakes brought on by rainfall.

Surgical Implants Coated With One Of 'Nature's Antibiotics' Could Prevent Infection Posted: 30 Jan 2009 05:00 AM PST Researchers have discovered a mimic of one of "nature's antibiotics" that can be used to coat medical devices to prevent infection and rejection.

Continents Act Like Thermal Blankets: How Continental Drift Will Change Continents In 120 Million Years Posted: 30 Jan 2009 05:00 AM PST Drifting of the large tectonic plates and the superimposed continents is not only powered by the heat-driven convection processes in the Earth's mantle, but rather retroacts on this internal driving processes. In doing so, the continents function as a thermal blanket, which leads to an accumulation of heat underneath, and which in turn can cause the break-up of the super-continents.

Regular Sprints Boost Metabolism Posted: 30 Jan 2009 05:00 AM PST A regular high-intensity, three-minute workout has a significant effect on the body's ability to process sugars. New research shows that a brief but intense exercise session every couple of days may be the best way to cut the risk of diabetes.

New Insights Into A Leading Poultry Disease And Its Risks To Human Health Posted: 30 Jan 2009 05:00 AM PST Scientists are developing a vaccine against a leading poultry disease called avian pathogenic E. coli (APEC). They has now analyzed the critical genetic element of APEC that contains several genes responsible for triggering its harmful effects. They have also shown that human and avian E. coli can carry the same disease-causing elements, which may increase the human risk of infection from poultry.

When A Baby Dies: Distress Of Medical Staff Highlighted In New Study Posted: 30 Jan 2009 05:00 AM PST Losing a baby is highly distressing for parents, but until now it has been less widely acknowledged that medical staff themselves can be affected by the losses experienced by their patients.

Robots To Clean Your Kitchen And Play A Game Of Hockey? Posted: 30 Jan 2009 02:00 AM PST Scientists are working on software that will enable robots to learn. It won't be long, they say, before personal robots are part of our lives.

Brain Structure Assists In Immune Response Posted: 30 Jan 2009 02:00 AM PST For the first time, medical researchers have imaged in real time the body's immune response to a parasitic infection in the brain.

Gene's Past Could Improve The Future Of Rice Posted: 30 Jan 2009 02:00 AM PST In an effort to improve rice varieties, a research team traced the evolutionary history of domesticated rice by using a process that focuses on one gene. Studying the gene allows researchers to better understand how it evolved over time through natural selection and human interaction. Understanding the variations could allow scientists to place genes from wild rice species into domesticated rice to create varieties with more favorable characteristics.

Magnetic-anchor-guided Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection Shows Promise For Gastric Cancer Posted: 30 Jan 2009 02:00 AM PST A prospective clinical trial from researchers in Japan shows magnetic-anchor-guided endoscopic submucosal dissection for large early gastric cancer to be a feasible and safe method in humans. Endoscopic submucosal dissection is useful in the en bloc removal of large gastric lesions because it reduces the risk of a local recurrence caused by removing the lesions piecemeal. The magnetic-anchor-guided endoscopic submucosal dissection technique was developed to facilitate the standard ESD procedure.

Climate Change's Impact On Invasive Plants In Western US May Create Restoration Opportunities Posted: 30 Jan 2009 02:00 AM PST A new study has found that global climate change may lead to the retreat of some invasive plant species in the western United States, which could create unprecedented ecological restoration opportunities across millions of acres throughout America. At the same time, global warming may enable other invasive plants to spread more widely.

Physically Fit Kids Do Better In School Posted: 30 Jan 2009 02:00 AM PST A new study found that physically fit kids scored better on standardized math and English tests than their less fit peers.

Biologists Find Stem Cell-like Functions In Other Types Of Plant Cells Posted: 29 Jan 2009 11:00 PM PST Ordinary cells have the ability to replace lost organs in plants -- a function previously thought to be limited to stem cells -- researchers have found.

How Cancer Cells Survive A Chemotherapy Drug Posted: 29 Jan 2009 11:00 PM PST New techniques enabled scientists to assess the actions of thousands of proteins in cancer cells and identify those that help some survive a chemotherapy treatment.

Football Players Are Not The Only Ones Who Get Hurt On Super Bowl Sunday Posted: 29 Jan 2009 11:00 PM PST You're cheering on your favorite team in the Big Game, but the next minute you are choking on a chicken wing. It turns out injuries are not limited to the playing field on Super Bowl Sunday.

'Chain Of Survival' Saves Lives, Lessens Damage In Out-of-hospital Cardiac Arrest Patients In Japan Posted: 29 Jan 2009 11:00 PM PST In an eight-year study, Japanese citizens were trained in CPR and procedures were changed to allow emergency service personnel to deliver shocks and intubate patients in the field. Implementing the "chain of survival" for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest increased survival.

Testbeds To Breed Next-generation Systems Posted: 29 Jan 2009 11:00 PM PST The systems that let you zap a photo to a friend, or an astronomer to control a telescope continents away, require intensive simulation and testing. European research has now made those key steps far easier.

American Seniors Living Longer On Less Posted: 29 Jan 2009 11:00 PM PST Older Americans have experienced huge, negative financial shifts that now make it more difficult to enter retirement with sustainable economic security, according to a new study. Seventy-eight percent of all senior households are financially vulnerable when it comes to their ability to meet essential expenses and cover projected costs over their lifetimes.

How Does A Dog Walk? Surprisingly, Many Of Us Don't Really Know Posted: 29 Jan 2009 08:00 PM PST Despite the fact that most of us see our four-legged friends walking around every day, most of us -- including many experts in natural history museums and illustrators for veterinary anatomy text books -- apparently still don't know how they do it. A new study shows that anatomists, taxidermists, and toy designers get the walking gait of horses and other quadruped animals wrong about half the time.

Spinal Fluid Proteins Signal Lou Gehrig's Disease Posted: 29 Jan 2009 08:00 PM PST High levels of certain proteins in the spinal fluid could signal the onset of Lou Gehrig's disease, according to researchers. The discovery of these biomarkers may lead to diagnostic kits for early diagnosis, accurately measuring the progression of the disease and monitoring the effects of treatment.

'Fishy' Clue Helps Establish How Proteins Evolve Posted: 29 Jan 2009 08:00 PM PST Three billion years ago, a "new" amino acid was added to the alphabet of 20 that commonly make up proteins in organisms today. Now researchers have demonstrated how this rare amino acid -- and, by example, other amino acids -- made its way into the menu for protein synthesis.

Statins' Adverse Effects Documented Posted: 29 Jan 2009 08:00 PM PST Scientists analyzed nearly 900 studies on the adverse effects of HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors, a class of drugs widely used to treat high cholesterol. The research provides evidence for reported side effects including muscle and cognitive problems.

Substantial Work Ahead For Water Issues, Say Scientists Posted: 29 Jan 2009 08:00 PM PST Scientists and engineers will face a host of obstacles over the next decade in providing clean water to millions of people caught up in a water shortage crisis, a panel of scientists and engineers have said.

Concussion In Former Athletes Can Affect Mental And Physical Processes Later In Life Posted: 29 Jan 2009 08:00 PM PST Researchers have found the first evidence that athletes who were concussed during their earlier sporting life show a decline in their mental and physical processes more than 30 years later.

Global Warming Fix? Some Of Earth's Climate Troubles Should Face Burial At Sea, Scientists Say Posted: 29 Jan 2009 05:00 PM PST Making bales with 30 percent of global crop residues -- the stalks and such left after harvesting -- and then sinking the bales into the deep ocean could reduce the build up of global carbon dioxide in the atmosphere by up to 15 percent a year, according to new calculations.

Diabetes Treatment May Lie In Helping Muscles To Burn Fat Better Posted: 29 Jan 2009 05:00 PM PST Scientists in Sydney and Melbourne Australia have produced results that could silence the current debate about exactly how fat molecules clog up muscle cells, making them less responsive to insulin. The finding is an important milestone in understanding the mechanisms of obesity related insulin resistance, a precursor of Type 2 diabetes.

Billion-year Revision Of Plant Evolution Timeline May Stem From Discovery Of Lignin In Seaweed Posted: 29 Jan 2009 05:00 PM PST Land plants' ability to sprout upward through the air, unsupported except by their own woody tissues, has long been considered one of the characteristics separating them from aquatic plants, which rely on water to support them. Now lignin, one of the chemical underpinnings vital to the self-supporting nature of land plants -- and thought unique to them -- has been found in marine algae.

Human Metapneumovirus Infection Predisposes Mice To Severe Pneumococcal Pneumonia Posted: 29 Jan 2009 05:00 PM PST A new study suggests that prior infection with human metapneumovirus or influenza A virus predisposes mice to a severe secondary bacterial infection with pneumococcal pneumonia.

Dermatitis Is More Prevalent In Humid Cities Where There Is A High Level Of Rainfall Posted: 29 Jan 2009 05:00 PM PST Climate affects children who have atopic dermatitis, a recurrent disease of the skin. This is suggested in a study that links this disease with rainy and humid areas. However, the experts point out that both temperature and the number of hours of sunshine combine together in the treatment of this condition.

Pain Relieving Effects Of Acupuncture Are Limited Posted: 29 Jan 2009 05:00 PM PST The pain relieving effects of acupuncture compared with placebo are small and seem to lack clinical relevance, according to a study published on the British Medical Journal website.

Natural Brain Substance Blocks Weight Gain In Mice, Researchers Discover Posted: 29 Jan 2009 02:00 PM PST Mice with increased levels of a natural brain chemical don't gain weight when fed a high-fat diet, researchers have found.

Widely Used Chemicals, Perfluorinated Chemicals, May Reduce Women's Fertility Posted: 29 Jan 2009 02:00 PM PST Researchers have found the first evidence that perfluorinated chemicals -- chemicals that are widely used in everyday items such as food packaging, pesticides, clothing, upholstery, carpets and personal care products -- may be associated with infertility in women. The study found that women who had higher levels of perfluorooctanoate (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) in their blood took longer to become pregnant than women with lower levels.

Roadkill Study Could Speed Detection Of Kidney Cancer Posted: 29 Jan 2009 02:00 PM PST Large-scale data mining of gene networks in fruit flies has led researchers to a sensitive and specific diagnostic biomarker for human renal cell carcinoma, the most common type of kidney cancer. The biomarker known as SPOP is produced by 99 percent of clear cell renal cell carcinomas but not by normal kidney tissue. It could serve as a diagnostic tool, lead to new drug targets and potentially help detect kidney cancers sooner.

Research Elucidates Way Lungs Fight Bacteria And Prevent Infection Posted: 29 Jan 2009 02:00 PM PST Airway epithelial cells initiate an immune response to inhaled bacteria by signaling for white blood cells to move from the bloodstream into the lungs and airway to fight potential infection. Researchers have demonstrated that this signaling cascade includes the activation of epithelial proteases, a type of enzyme capable of opening the junctions between the cells in the airway mucosa, to enable the white blood cells to get through to the site of the infection.

'Fossil Earthquakes' Abundant Posted: 29 Jan 2009 02:00 PM PST Rocks formed only under the extreme heat and friction during earthquakes, called pseudotachylytes, may be more abundant than previously reported, according to new research focused on eight faults found in the Sierra Nevada.

Newborn Brain Cells 'Time-stamp' Memories Posted: 29 Jan 2009 02:00 PM PST "Remember when...?" is how many a wistful trip down memory lane begins. But just how the brain keeps tabs on what happened and when is still a matter of speculation. A computational model now suggests that newborn brain cells -- generated by the thousands each day -- add a time-related code, which is unique to memories formed around the same time.

Iron Fertilization To Capture Carbon Dioxide Dealt A Blow: Plankton Stores Much Less Carbon Dioxide Than Estimated Posted: 29 Jan 2009 11:00 AM PST A possible solution to global warming has been dealt a blow. Fertilizing plankton by the artificial addition of iron has long been proposed as a potential way to geoengineer the removal of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Now, scientists measuring how much of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide is locked away in the deep ocean by plankton when it dies found that it was significantly less than previous estimates.

Stem Cells Used To Reverse Paralysis In Animals Posted: 29 Jan 2009 11:00 AM PST A new study has found that transplantation of stem cells from the lining of the spinal cord, called ependymal stem cells, reverses paralysis associated with spinal cord injuries in laboratory tests. The findings show that the population of these cells after spinal cord injury was many times greater than comparable cells from healthy animal subjects.

New Computational Technique Allows Comparison Of Whole Genomes As Easily As Whole Books Posted: 29 Jan 2009 11:00 AM PST When comparing the genomes of different organisms to create an evolutionary tree, scientists have been restricted to using a few dozen genes common to all of them. No longer. Scientists have discovered a way to compare entire genomes across a range of sizes. The method, which treats the genome as a book without spaces or punctuation, works equally well for comparing written texts to detect plagiarism or authorship.

Use Of Magnetic Resonance Imaging Improves Diagnosis Of Patients In Vegetative State Posted: 29 Jan 2009 11:00 AM PST A new study analyzed the importance of the use of magnetic resonance imaging to improve the diagnosis and treatment of patients in a vegetative state. Until now these tests have not been performed in this type of patient. The results show activation of the auditory and linguistic areas of the brain despite the absence of observable behavioral responses.

Early Warning Systems Underestimate Magnitude Of Large Earthquakes Posted: 29 Jan 2009 11:00 AM PST Scientists seek to create reliable early warning systems that accurately estimate the magnitude of an earthquake within the first seconds of rupture. Scientists looked at the idea that an earthquake's final size can be determined during its initiation, rather than something that only becomes apparent at the end of the rupture.

Witness For The Prosecution? The Effect Of Confessions On Eyewitness Testimony Posted: 29 Jan 2009 11:00 AM PST What is it with false confession? A new study in Psychological Science indicates to what extent confessions may influence eyewitness testimony. An astonishing 60 percent of volunteers who had identified a suspect from a line up flip-flopped when a different man confessed. Even those who had been very sure of their original identification experienced a steep drop in confidence.

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