Wednesday, June 30, 2010

ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

ScienceDaily: Latest Science News


Zapping Titan-like atmosphere with UV rays creates life precursors

Posted: 30 Jun 2010 11:00 AM PDT

The first experimental evidence showing how atmospheric nitrogen can be incorporated into organic macromolecules is being reported by researchers. The finding indicates what organic molecules might be found on Titan, the moon of Saturn that scientists think is a model for the chemistry of pre-life Earth. Earth and Titan are the only known planetary-sized bodies that have thick, predominantly nitrogen atmospheres.

Impulsive, weak-willed or just too much dopamine? Brain study highlights role of dopamine in impulsive behavior

Posted: 30 Jun 2010 11:00 AM PDT

It's a common scenario: you're on a diet, determined to give up eating cakes, but as you pass the cake counter, all resolve disappears. Now, scientists have shed light on the brain processes that affect our will-power and make us act impulsively.

Putting muscle into birdsong: Wide range of pitch is due to vocal muscles more than air pressure

Posted: 30 Jun 2010 11:00 AM PDT

Female zebra finches don't sing but make one-note, low-pitch calls. Males sing over a wide range of frequencies. Scientists discovered how: The males' stronger vocal muscles, not the pressure of air flowing through their lungs, lets them sing from the B note above middle C all the way to a whistle beyond the high end of a piano keyboard.

Nitrate in beetroot juice lowers blood pressure, study finds

Posted: 30 Jun 2010 11:00 AM PDT

The nitrate content of beetroot juice is the underlying cause of its blood pressure lowering benefits, research reveals. A new study finds that blood pressure was lowered within 24 hours in people who took nitrate tablets, and people who drank beetroot juice.

Diamonds and the holy grail of quantum computing

Posted: 30 Jun 2010 11:00 AM PDT

Most candidate systems for quantum computing work only at very low temperatures. Now a team of researchers from China may have a warmer solution. The team is exploring the capabilities of diamond nitrogen vacancy materials.

Olympic gold? A new effect of caffeine boosts performance

Posted: 30 Jun 2010 11:00 AM PDT

UK scientists show for the first time that high doses of caffeine directly increase muscle power and endurance during sub-maximal activities, which in humans ranges from everyday activities to running a marathon. With no current regulations in place, the scientists believe their findings may have implications for the use of caffeine in sport to improve performance.

Hunting weapon 10,000 years old found in melting ice patch

Posted: 30 Jun 2010 08:00 AM PDT

A researcher has discovered a 10,000-year-old atlatl dart that had melted out of an ice patch in the Rocky Mountains. Climate change has increased global temperatures and accelerated melting of permanent ice fields, exposing organic materials that have long been entombed in the ice.

How dietary supplement may block cancer cells

Posted: 30 Jun 2010 08:00 AM PDT

A new study shows how a substance produced when eating broccoli and Brussels sprouts can block the proliferation of cancer cells. Earlier evidence indicates that the substance indole-3-carbinol may have anticancer effects and other health benefits. The new study discovered that I3C causes the destruction of another molecule, called Cdc25A, which is essential for cell division and proliferation, and in this way blocks breast cancer cell growth.

Desert bats reveal the secret of their survival

Posted: 30 Jun 2010 08:00 AM PDT

Desert bats reduce water loss by changing the make-up of their skin, allowing them to thrive in some of the world's most inhospitable environments. This is surprising given the anatomy of bats and the energy they expend in flight and may provide significant insight into how bats might respond to a future changing climate.

Understanding how folic acid might help heal brain and spinal cord injuries

Posted: 30 Jun 2010 08:00 AM PDT

Babies born to women who do not consume enough folic acid are at high risk of developing neural tube defects. This is the reason underlying the recommendation that women who are pregnant take a folic acid supplement. New research using rodents now suggests how folic acid might also help promote healing in injured brain and spinal cord.

NASA instrument will identify clues to Martian past

Posted: 30 Jun 2010 08:00 AM PDT

NASA's Curiosity rover, coming together for a late 2011 launch to Mars, has a newly installed component: a key onboard X-ray instrument for helping the mission achieve its goals. Researchers will use Curiosity in an intriguing area of Mars to search for modern or ancient habitable environments, including any that may have also been favorable for preserving clues about life and environment.

Venetian blinds can cause accidental strangulation

Posted: 30 Jun 2010 08:00 AM PDT

A pediatrician is calling for Venetian blinds to be redesigned to safeguard babies and toddlers from accidentally being strangled to death by the looped cords.

'Galactic archaeologists' find origin of Milky Way's ancient stars

Posted: 30 Jun 2010 05:00 AM PDT

Many of the Milky Way's ancient stars are remnants of other smaller galaxies torn apart by violent galactic collisions around five billion years ago, according to researchers.

Mystery unraveled: How asbestos causes cancer

Posted: 30 Jun 2010 05:00 AM PDT

More than 20 million people in the US, and many more worldwide, who have been exposed to asbestos are at risk of developing mesothelioma, a malignant cancer of the membranes that cover the lungs and abdomen that is resistant to current therapies. Moreover, asbestos exposure increases the risk of lung cancer among smokers. For the past 40 years researchers have tried to understand why asbestos causes cancer.

Discovery of controlled swarm in bacteria: Could help design new strategies to increase sensitivity to antibiotics

Posted: 30 Jun 2010 05:00 AM PDT

Researchers have described one of the mechanisms in which pathogenic bacteria populations control the way they spread over the surface of the organs they infect and stop when they detect the presence of an antibiotic, only to resume again when the effect wears off. The star of this process is the RecA protein, which significantly increases its concentration at the start of the bacteria DNA repair mechanism.

Treating depression with Omega-3: Encouraging results from largest clinical study

Posted: 30 Jun 2010 05:00 AM PDT

The use of Omega-3 supplements is effective among patients with major depression who do not have anxiety disorders, according to a recent clinical study -- the largest ever conducted assessing Omega-3's efficacy in treating major depression.

Returning farmland to wilderness in Tanzania

Posted: 30 Jun 2010 05:00 AM PDT

The Swiss wanted to rear cattle in Tanzania and in so doing completely disturbed the ecosystem: the example of the Mkwaja Ranch shows how dependent agriculture is on a functioning ecosystem. And what a serious effect its encroachment can have on a sensitive balance.

IVF linked to autism, Israeli study suggests

Posted: 30 Jun 2010 05:00 AM PDT

Scientists in Israel have reported a strong link between IVF and mild to moderate cases of autism. In their study, 10.5% of 461 children diagnosed with a disorder on the autism spectrum were conceived using IVF, a significantly higher number than the 3.5% autism rate in the general Israeli population.

Depressed mice could aid research on drug-resistant depression in humans

Posted: 30 Jun 2010 02:00 AM PDT

New research shows that a unique strain of laboratory mice has behavioral, hormonal, and neurochemical characteristics that are similar to those of human patients with drug-resistant forms of depression. The mice -- which have a defect in a gene -- are expected to be useful as a new model organism in the effort to develop more effective medications for specific forms of depression.

Spinal cord stimulation may benefit Parkinson's patients

Posted: 30 Jun 2010 02:00 AM PDT

Spinal cord stimulation may be able to modulate Parkinson's disease symptoms, recent research suggests.

Viral protein structure study offers HIV therapy hope

Posted: 30 Jun 2010 02:00 AM PDT

A new research project is helping further the understanding of HIV viral protein structure which could lead to new molecular medicines.

Near-normal blood sugar target did not delay risk of organ damage in people with diabetes, study finds

Posted: 30 Jun 2010 02:00 AM PDT

In people with longstanding type 2 diabetes who are at high risk for heart attack and stroke, lowering blood sugar to near-normal levels did not delay the combined risk of diabetic damage to kidneys, eyes, or nerves, but did delay several other signs of diabetic damage, a study has found. The intensive glucose treatment was compared with standard glucose control.

When two parts of the Earth's crust break apart, this does not always cause massive volcanic eruptions

Posted: 30 Jun 2010 02:00 AM PDT

New research reveals that when two parts of the Earth's crust break apart, this does not always cause massive volcanic eruptions. The study explains why some parts of the world saw massive volcanic eruptions millions of years ago and others did not.

Smarter lunchrooms lead kids to eat more salad

Posted: 30 Jun 2010 02:00 AM PDT

In a year-long study in an upstate New York middle school, researchers examined the effect of moving the salad bar to a more prominent location in the cafeteria. Results show that sales of certain salad bar items increased by 250-300 percent.

Arctic climate may be more sensitive to warming than thought, says new study

Posted: 29 Jun 2010 11:00 PM PDT

A new study shows the Arctic climate system may be more sensitive to greenhouse warming than previously thought, and that current levels of Earth's atmospheric carbon dioxide may be high enough to bring about significant, irreversible shifts in Arctic ecosystems.

Engineered antibodies directed against a promising therapeutic target on ovarian cancer cells

Posted: 29 Jun 2010 11:00 PM PDT

Stealthy and stubborn, ovarian cancer is a particularly vexing malignancy, difficult to diagnose in early stages and difficult to treat once it progresses further. However, research is now focusing on one of the most promising new approaches to dealing with the disease -- using engineered antibodies to target tumor cells while leaving healthy cells intact.

Defective signaling pathway leads to vascular malformations in the brain

Posted: 29 Jun 2010 11:00 PM PDT

A disrupted signaling pathway in endothelial cells, which line the insides of blood vessels, leads to cavernomas, vascular malformations in the brain which are often dangerous. Researchers have found the cause of one of the most common human malformations and point out that cavernomas might be treated by drugs which inhibit vascular growth.

Eye study finds two therapies slow diabetic eye disease progression

Posted: 29 Jun 2010 11:00 PM PDT

In high-risk adults with type 2 diabetes, researchers have found that two therapies may slow the progression of diabetic retinopathy, an eye disease that is the leading cause of vision loss in working-age Americans.

Large medical center reduces cumulative radiation exposure and CT scans through imaging algorithm, study finds

Posted: 29 Jun 2010 11:00 PM PDT

A large, academic medical center implemented an imaging algorithm that allowed radiologists to successfully reduce the cumulative radiation exposure and number of computed tomography (CT) angiography and CT perfusion studies performed on patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhages (a form of stroke), according to a new study.

Scholar calls for a new legal, ethical framework for research with human tissue specimens

Posted: 29 Jun 2010 11:00 PM PDT

A bioethics expert says a new legal and ethical framework needs to be placed around the donation and banking of human biological material, one that would more clearly define the terms of the material's use -- and address donor expectations before research begins.

Combination MMRV vaccine linked with two-fold risk of seizures, study finds

Posted: 29 Jun 2010 08:00 PM PDT

The combination vaccine for measles, mumps, rubella and chickenpox is associated with double the risk of febrile seizures for 1- to 2-year-old children compared with same-day administration of the separate vaccine for measles, mumps and rubella and the varicella vaccine for chicken pox. Funded by the US Centers for Disease Control, the study analyzed 459,000 children 1 to 2 years old from numerous health systems across the US receiving their first dose of measles-containing vaccine.

Is this the perfect prawn?

Posted: 29 Jun 2010 08:00 PM PDT

After 10 years of careful breeding and research, scientists have developed what could be the world's most perfect prawn.

No link between diabetes drug rosiglitazone and increased rate of heart attack, study finds

Posted: 29 Jun 2010 08:00 PM PDT

The diabetes drug rosiglitazone has been under intense scrutiny since a 2007 study linked the drug's use with increased risk of heart attack and death from heart disease. Now, in a post-trial analysis of results from an international clinical trial of diabetes patients with cardiovascular disease, researchers at several major centers across the country report no increased rate of heart attack or death in patients taking the drug.

Science uncovers the hidden secrets of world-famous paintings

Posted: 29 Jun 2010 08:00 PM PDT

The hidden secrets of some of the world's most famous paintings have been revealed, thanks to a partnership between the UK's Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council and the National Gallery.

Conscious choice of food can substantially mitigate climate change, research finds

Posted: 29 Jun 2010 08:00 PM PDT

Reducing the consumption of meat and dairy products and improving agricultural practices could decrease global greenhouse gas emissions substantially. By 2055 the emissions of methane and nitrous oxide from agriculture could be cut by more than eighty percent, researchers have found in a new modeling study.

Despite countless changes, original HIV infection lurks within

Posted: 29 Jun 2010 05:00 PM PDT

Scientists have been surprised to learn that, despite thousands of changes that viruses like HIV undergo in rapid fashion to evade the body's immune system, the original version that caused the infection is still present in the body months later.

Alzheimer's imaging study identifies changes in brain's white matter

Posted: 29 Jun 2010 05:00 PM PDT

Researchers have used MRI to detect deterioration of white matter tracts in the brains of older adults at high risk for Alzheimer's disease. Data suggest that changes in white matter connections may be among the earliest brain changes in Alzheimer's disease, which may prove important for early detection by noninvasive imaging.

Weight and children with developmental coordination disorder

Posted: 29 Jun 2010 05:00 PM PDT

Children with developmental coordination disorder are at greater risk of being overweight or obese, according to a new study.

Delta bulrush plant could help ease oil spill crisis, botanist says

Posted: 29 Jun 2010 05:00 PM PDT

A botanist who first profiled and named the delta bulrush says the plant has natural properties that could help reduce the impact of the Gulf oil spill on the Mississippi delta.

Age doesn't necessarily affect decision-making, study shows

Posted: 29 Jun 2010 05:00 PM PDT

Many people believe that getting older means losing a mental edge, leading to poor decision-making. But a new study shows that when it comes to making intuitive decisions -- using your "gut instincts" -- older adults fare as well as their juniors. The study found that education plays a key role as well.

Embryonic cell and adult pig islet transplants cure diabetes in rats

Posted: 29 Jun 2010 02:00 PM PDT

In a step toward curing diabetes in humans, scientists have alleviated the disease in rats using transplants from both embryonic and adult pigs.

Surprising find may yield new avenue of treatment for painful herniated discs

Posted: 29 Jun 2010 02:00 PM PDT

An immune cell known to cause chronic inflammation in autoimmune disorders has been identified as a possible culprit in low back pain associated with herniated discs, according to doctors.

Bees help to beat MRSA bugs

Posted: 29 Jun 2010 02:00 PM PDT

Bees could have a key role to play in urgently needed new treatments to fight the virulent MRSA bug, according new research from Scotland.

Can too much HDL be harmful to women with type 1 diabetes?

Posted: 29 Jun 2010 02:00 PM PDT

Elevated blood levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) or "good" cholesterol, typically thought to protect against heart disease, may do the opposite in women with type 1 diabetes, according to new research.

Earplug lets the message through

Posted: 29 Jun 2010 02:00 PM PDT

An earplug with a built-in computer that allows speech to pass but shuts out unwanted and hazardous noise will make life easier in noisy environments.

Drinking alcohol during pregnancy may damage semen quality in sons

Posted: 29 Jun 2010 02:00 PM PDT

Mothers who drink alcohol while they are pregnant may be damaging the fertility of their future sons, according to new research.

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

ScienceDaily: Latest Science News


Birth of the Milky Way: Astronomers glimpse at earliest phases of our home galaxy

Posted: 29 Jun 2010 11:00 AM PDT

For the first time, a team of astronomers has succeeded in investigating the earliest phases of the evolutionary history of our home galaxy, the Milky Way. The scientists deduce that the early galaxy went from smooth to clumpy in just a few hundred million years.

New formula gives first accurate peak heart rate for women

Posted: 29 Jun 2010 11:00 AM PDT

A new gender-based formula based on a large study provides a more accurate estimate of the peak heart rate a healthy woman should attain during exercise. It also will more accurately predict the risk of heart-related death during a stress test. Researchers found women's normal peak rate is lower than men's.

Even the midnight sun won't convince bees to work nights

Posted: 29 Jun 2010 11:00 AM PDT

Bees observe a strict working day, even in conditions of 24-hour sunlight. Researchers tagged worker bumblebees with a radio identifier, similar to an Oyster Card, which was used to monitor their movements during the constant light of the Arctic summer.

New drugs to relieve cancer pain

Posted: 29 Jun 2010 11:00 AM PDT

Researchers in the UK and Italy have collaborated to develop new drugs which have the potential to relieve cancer pain without causing many of the side effects of current pain-treatments like morphine.

Biologically inspired technology produces sugar from photosynthetic bacteria

Posted: 29 Jun 2010 11:00 AM PDT

Researchers have engineered photosynthetic bacteria to produce simple sugars and lactic acid. This innovation could lead to new, environmentally friendly methods for producing commodity chemicals in bulk. It could also lead to reduced carbon dioxide emissions, greater availability of biodegradable plastics, and the capture of harmful CO2 emissions from power plants and industrial facilities.

Studies of women's attitudes to 'social egg freezing' find reasons differ with age

Posted: 29 Jun 2010 11:00 AM PDT

Women of different ages differ in their reasons for wishing to undergo egg freezing, two studies show.

Whiter clouds could mean wetter land

Posted: 29 Jun 2010 08:00 AM PDT

One proposed emergency fix for global warming is to seed clouds over the ocean to make them more reflective, reducing the solar radiation absorbed by the Earth. But the scheme could also change global rainfall patterns, raising concerns of water shortages on land. A new study suggests that the scheme could actually increase monsoonal rains and cause continents to become wetter, not drier, on average.

Pacemaker for your brain: Brain-to-computer chip revolutionizes neurological therapy

Posted: 29 Jun 2010 08:00 AM PDT

Researchers in Israel are delving deep into human behavior, neurophysiology and engineering to create a chip that can help doctors wire computer applications and sensors to the brain. The chip will provide deep brain stimulation precisely where and when it's needed.

Introducing Robofish: Leading the crowd in studying group dynamics

Posted: 29 Jun 2010 08:00 AM PDT

Scientists have created the first convincing robotic fish that shoals will accept as one of their own. The innovation opens up new possibilities for studying fish behavior and group dynamics, which provides useful information to support freshwater and marine environmental management, to predict fish migration routes and assess the likely impact of human intervention on fish populations.

New possibility to determine the severity of appendicitis

Posted: 29 Jun 2010 08:00 AM PDT

The symptoms of appendicitis are often diffuse and it can be difficult to obtain an accurate diagnosis early in the course of the disease. It may be possible to predict the severity from a blood sample, and in this way determine the treatment on an individual basis, according to new research from Sweden.

Manure provides higher returns than chemical fertilizers, economist says

Posted: 29 Jun 2010 08:00 AM PDT

No significant differences in corn yield were found between organic and chemical sources of nutrients, but a new study suggests that manure generates higher economic returns than anhydrous ammonia.

Older adults watch more TV than younger people, enjoy it less

Posted: 29 Jun 2010 08:00 AM PDT

We usually scold our children and teenagers for watching too much TV. It turns out that their grandmas and grandpas spend even more of their time watching TV, and it is not good for them either, according to researchers.

Gene leads to longer shelf life for tomatoes, possibly other fruits

Posted: 29 Jun 2010 05:00 AM PDT

A researcher has found a sort of fountain of youth for tomatoes that extends their shelf life by about a week. Adding a yeast gene increases production of a compound that slows aging and delays microbial decay in tomatoes, and the results likely would transfer to most fruits.

Memories are made of this: Uncovering the key to how we learn and remember

Posted: 29 Jun 2010 05:00 AM PDT

Researchers in the UK have revealed new information on the mechanism by which memories are formed. Their study found one of the key proteins involved in the process of memory and learning -- a breakthrough that has potential to impact drug design to treat Alzheimer's disease.

Outliving the Ice Age: Tale of a rhinoceros

Posted: 29 Jun 2010 05:00 AM PDT

Species extinction is a fundamental part of evolution: the best adapted species survive, while others die out. A new study shows why, after 800,000 years of successful survival, a species of rhinoceros suddenly disappeared.

New meta-analysis demonstrates heart risks associated with rosiglitazone

Posted: 29 Jun 2010 05:00 AM PDT

Eleven years after the introduction of the diabetes drug rosiglitazone, data from available clinical trials demonstrate an increased risk for heart attack associated with its use and suggest an unfavorable benefit-to-risk ratio, according to a new study.

Western Mediterranean has warmed for more than a century, study finds

Posted: 29 Jun 2010 05:00 AM PDT

The longest sequences of temperature and salinity data analyzed (from 1900 to present) have confirmed the gradual warming of the waters of the western Mediterranean, according to new research.

Science historian cracks the 'Plato code'

Posted: 29 Jun 2010 05:00 AM PDT

A science historian in the UK has cracked the "Plato Code" -- the long disputed secret messages hidden in the great philosopher's writings. The findings may revolutionize the history of the origins of Western thought.

North America's first peoples more genetically diverse than thought, mitochondrial genome analysis reveals

Posted: 29 Jun 2010 02:00 AM PDT

The initial peopling of North America from Asia occurred approximately 15,000-18,000 years ago. However, estimations of the genetic diversity of the first settlers have remained inaccurate. In a new study, researchers have found that the diversity of the first Americans has been significantly underestimated, underscoring the importance of comprehensive sampling for accurate analysis of human migrations.

12 new genetic risk factors for type 2 diabetes identified in new study

Posted: 29 Jun 2010 02:00 AM PDT

An international consortium has identified 12 new gene variants which impact the individual's risk of developing type 2 diabetes. The study represents a major contribution towards elucidating the complex pathogenesis of this important widespread disease.

Climate changes in the Atlantic can affect drought in distant regions

Posted: 29 Jun 2010 02:00 AM PDT

Cyclical changes in atmospheric pressure and sea surface temperature in the North Atlantic Ocean affect drought in the Sahel region on the southern Sahara rim.

Type 2 diabetes medication rosiglitazone associated with increased cardiovascular risks and death, study finds

Posted: 29 Jun 2010 02:00 AM PDT

A new study shows that among patients age 65 years and older, rosiglitazone (a medication for treating Type 2 diabetes) is associated with an increased risk of stroke, heart failure, and all-cause mortality (death) when compared with pioglitazone (another medication for diabetes).

Geometry affects drift and diffusion across entropic barriers

Posted: 29 Jun 2010 02:00 AM PDT

Understanding particle diffusion in the presence of constrictions is essential in fields as diverse as drug delivery, cellular biology, nanotechnology, materials engineering, and spread of pollutants in the soil. When a driving force is applied, displacement of particles occurs as well as diffusion. A new paper quantifies the effects of periodic constrictions on drift and diffusion in systems experiencing a driving force.

Public transit systems contribute to weight loss and improved health, study finds

Posted: 29 Jun 2010 02:00 AM PDT

Increasing the availability of public transit systems is one among a number of modifications to the built environment that offers opportunities for increasing physical activity and reducing the prevalence of obesity and its associated problems. In a new study, researchers found that construction of a light-rail system (LRT) resulted in increased physical activity (walking) and subsequent weight loss by people served by the LRT. These findings suggest that improving neighborhood environments and increasing the public's use of LRT systems could improve health outcomes and potentially impact millions of individuals.

Competition matters: New study challenges long-held assumption about competition in disturbed ecosystems

Posted: 28 Jun 2010 11:00 PM PDT

Hurricanes, wildfires and influxes of pollutants create disturbances that can put ecological systems under extreme stress. Ecologists had believed that at times like these, competition between species becomes less important as all struggle to survive. But a new laboratory study of microscopic organisms subjected to varying degrees of acoustic disturbance now challenges that assumption -- and could lead ecologists to reconsider how organisms compete during challenging times.

Statins associated with lower cancer recurrence following prostatectomy

Posted: 28 Jun 2010 11:00 PM PDT

Men who use statins to lower their cholesterol are 30 percent less likely to see their prostate cancer come back after surgery compared to men who do not use the drugs, according to a new study. Researchers also found that higher doses of the drugs were associated with lower risk of recurrence.

Cycad pest uses small size to hide from predators: Researchers look for small control organism

Posted: 28 Jun 2010 11:00 PM PDT

One way to keep from getting eaten is to run. But recent research shows that sometimes it's better to just hide.

Adults with newly diagnosed diabetes at risk of liver disease, study finds

Posted: 28 Jun 2010 11:00 PM PDT

Adults with newly diagnosed diabetes are at higher long-term risk of serious liver disease, including cirrhosis and liver failure, according to a new study.

New radio telescope will listen to the universe on the FM-band

Posted: 28 Jun 2010 11:00 PM PDT

The first major radio telescope to be built in Britain for many decades will 'listen' to the sky at FM frequencies, providing vast quantities of data to a supercomputer in Holland, paving the way for unexpected new discoveries.

National School Lunch Program increases educational achievement, study finds

Posted: 28 Jun 2010 11:00 PM PDT

A new study is the first to evaluate the long-term health and educational effects of participation in the National School Lunch Program. Researchers found that the program leads to a significant increase in educational opportunity and attainment, but an insignificant increase in health levels from childhood to adulthood.

Physics of the 'bends': New study helps explain decompression sickness

Posted: 28 Jun 2010 05:00 PM PDT

As you go about your day-to-day activities, tiny bubbles of nitrogen come and go inside your tissues. This is not a problem unless you happen to experience large changes in pressure, as scuba divers and astronauts may. During large, fast pressure drops, bubbles can grow, causing "the bends." A new study may provide a physical basis for the existence of these bubbles and help explain decompression sickness.

Dark chocolate lowers blood pressure, research finds

Posted: 28 Jun 2010 05:00 PM PDT

For people with hypertension, eating dark chocolate can significantly reduce blood pressure. Researchers combined the results of 15 studies into the effects of flavanols, the compounds in chocolate which cause dilation of blood vessels, on blood pressure.

'Velcro' effect in Guianese ants

Posted: 28 Jun 2010 05:00 PM PDT

In Guiana, symbiosis between Azteca ants and the Cecropia tree (or trumpet tree) is frequent. However, a surprising discovery has been made: one species of ant (Azteca andreae) uses the 'Velcro' principle to cling on firmly to the leaves of Cecropia and thus capture very large prey.

Immune system important in fight against stomach cancer

Posted: 28 Jun 2010 05:00 PM PDT

Researchers have identified cells in the immune system that react to the stomach ulcer bacterium Helicobacter pylori, one of the risk factors for the development of stomach cancer. This discovery could lead to faster diagnosis and treatment as well as a better prognosis for patients with stomach cancer.

Turning off the air conditioning helps save fuel, Swiss study finds

Posted: 28 Jun 2010 05:00 PM PDT

Automobile air conditioning systems do not run "free of charge". In fact in the hot parts of the world they can account for up to thirty per cent of fuel consumption. Even in Switzerland, with its temperate climate, the use of air conditioning systems is responsible for about five per cent of total fuel usage, rising to around ten per cent in urban traffic, as shown by a new study. Furthermore, two thirds of the additional fuel usage could be saved if air conditioning systems were simply turned off when the air temperature falls below 18 degrees Celsius.

Battle of the sexes exists in the plant world, too

Posted: 28 Jun 2010 05:00 PM PDT

Researchers have shown for the first time that in plants, fathers, as well as mothers, can influence the size of seeds. Their findings could open new avenues to increase crop yields and improve food security for an ever-growing global human population.

Manipulating microbes in the gut may remedy disease and enhance health

Posted: 28 Jun 2010 02:00 PM PDT

We are what we eat, but who are "we?" New, high-powered genomic analytical techniques have established that as many as 1,000 different single-celled species coexist in relative harmony in every healthy human gut.

Bursting bubbles with sound offers new treatments for cancer

Posted: 28 Jun 2010 02:00 PM PDT

A new way to deliver cancer drugs using gas bubbles and sound waves is being developed. The project will enable highly toxic drugs to be delivered in small doses directly to tumors, where their toxicity can safely be put to good use. If successful, the technique could easily be adapted for other diseases.

Enterprise PCs work while they sleep – saving energy and money – with new software

Posted: 28 Jun 2010 02:00 PM PDT

Personal computers in enterprise environments save energy and money by "sleep-working," thanks to new software called SleepServer. Sleep-working enterprise PCs are accessible via remote connections and maintain their presence on voice over IP, instant messaging, and peer-to-peer networks even though the PCs are in low-power sleep mode. SleepServer can reduce energy consumption on enterprise PCs previously running 24/7 by an average of 60 percent.

New measurement of telomere DNA could help identify most viable embryos for IVF

Posted: 28 Jun 2010 02:00 PM PDT

Scientists have directly measured a specific region of DNA in human embryos -- telomeres -- and discovered that the length of telomeres could be a quality marker for embryonic development.

Prepare for hotter and drier Southwestern US, climate experts urge

Posted: 28 Jun 2010 02:00 PM PDT

Prominent climate experts are calling for a "no-regrets" strategy for planning for a hotter and drier western North America. Their advice: use water conservatively and continue developing ways to harness energy from the sun, wind and Earth.

High sugar content in packaged toddler and baby food products

Posted: 28 Jun 2010 02:00 PM PDT

More than half of foods specifically targeted to babies and toddlers in Canada have excessive sugar content, says a new study.

Reseachers predict larger-than-average Gulf 'dead zone'; Impact of oil spill unclear

Posted: 28 Jun 2010 11:00 AM PDT

Researchers say this year's Gulf of Mexico "dead zone" is expected to be larger than average, continuing a decades-long trend that threatens the health of a $659 million fishery. The 2010 forecast, released by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), calls for a Gulf dead zone of between 6,500 and 7,800 square miles, an area roughly the size of Lake Ontario.

Agent Orange exposure linked to Graves' disease in Vietnam veterans, study finds

Posted: 28 Jun 2010 11:00 AM PDT

Vietnam-War-era veterans exposed to Agent Orange appear to have significantly more Graves' disease, a thyroid disorder, than veterans with no exposure, a new study by endocrinologists has shown.

Rocky mounds and a plateau on Mars

Posted: 28 Jun 2010 11:00 AM PDT

When Mars Express set sail for the crater named after Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan, it found a windblown plateau and mysterious rocky mounds nearby.

BCG vaccination appears promising as a treatment for people with existing type 1 diabetes, Phase I trial results show

Posted: 28 Jun 2010 11:00 AM PDT

Researchers in Massachusetts have announced the completion of the Phase I BCG clinical trial in type 1 diabetes. Plans for the Phase II clinical study, which will continue the investigation of bacillus Calmette-Guerin vaccination as a treatment type 1 diabetes, are actively underway.

Depth charge: Using atomic force microscopy to study subsurface structures

Posted: 28 Jun 2010 11:00 AM PDT

Researchers have shown that under the right circumstances, surface science instruments such as the atomic force microscope can deliver valuable data about sub-surface conditions.

Piglets open doors to study infant brain development

Posted: 28 Jun 2010 11:00 AM PDT

Events occurring during the development of an infant's brain can leave behind fingerprints. And researchers are interested in learning how these fingerprints can predict future behavioral problems such as cognitive deficits, anxiety disorders, depression and even autism. New research shows that the baby pig may provide some answers.