Monday, July 12, 2010

ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

ScienceDaily: Latest Science News


Antidepressants make shrimps see the light

Posted: 12 Jul 2010 08:00 AM PDT

Rising levels of antidepressants in coastal waters could change sea-life behavior and potentially damage the food-chain, according to a new study.

Honey as an antibiotic: Scientists identify a secret ingredient in honey that kills bacteria

Posted: 12 Jul 2010 08:00 AM PDT

Sweet news for those looking for new antibiotics: new research explains for the first time how honey kills bacteria. Specifically, the research shows that bees make a protein that they add to the honey, called defensin-1, which could one day be used to treat burns and skin infections and to develop new drugs that could combat antibiotic-resistant infections.

First preliminary profile of proteins in bed bugs' saliva

Posted: 12 Jul 2010 08:00 AM PDT

With bed bugs reemerging as a nuisance in some parts of the country, scientists are reporting the first preliminary description of the bug's sialome -- the saliva proteins that are the secret to Cimex lectularius' ability to suck blood from its human victims and escape to bite again with risking a lethal slap. The findings could have medical applications in diagnosing bed bug bites and preventing the itch.

Wet breathing system filters transmit harmful bacteria and yeast, hospitals warned

Posted: 12 Jul 2010 08:00 AM PDT

UK doctors have highlighted potential problems with the breathing system filters used in anesthesia, including intensive care units, after demonstrating that they don't provide protection from harmful bacteria and yeast when they become wet. A new study shows that when they were wet, six commonly available filters allowed substantial passage of Candida albicans (a yeast infection linked to a range of chronic illnesses) and coagulase-negative staphylococci (a common hospital-acquired bacterial infection).

Breakthrough in terahertz remote sensing: Unique THz 'fingerprints' will identify hidden explosives from a distance

Posted: 12 Jul 2010 08:00 AM PDT

A major breakthrough in remote wave sensing by a team of researchers opens the way for detecting hidden explosives, chemical, biological agents and illegal drugs from a distance of 20 meters.

Eye movements and sight distance reveal how drivers negotiate winding roads

Posted: 12 Jul 2010 08:00 AM PDT

New research finds that the further drivers can look ahead, generally in left-hand curves, wide curves and when leaving a curve, the less they have to look at the tangent point. The ultimate goal of the project is to build a device into cars that warns the driver if he is in danger of unintentionally departing from the lane.

Surprisingly regular patterns in hurricane energy discovered

Posted: 12 Jul 2010 05:00 AM PDT

Researchers in Spain have discovered a mathematical relation between the number of hurricanes produced in certain parts of Earth and the energy they release.

Plasma protein appears to be associated with development and severity of Alzheimer's disease

Posted: 12 Jul 2010 05:00 AM PDT

Higher concentrations of clusterin, a protein in the blood plasma, appears to be associated with the development, severity and progression of Alzheimer's disease, according to a new study.

Geo-neutrinos: Discovery of subatomic particles could answer deep questions in geology

Posted: 12 Jul 2010 05:00 AM PDT

An international team has detected subatomic particles -- geo-neutrinos -- deep within Earth's interior. The discovery could help geologists understand how reactions taking place in the planet's interior affect events on the surface such as earthquakes and volcanoes. Someday, scientists may know enough about the sources and flow of heat in Earth to predict events like the recent volcanic eruption in Iceland.

Protein identified which helps cancer cells to survive stressful conditions

Posted: 12 Jul 2010 05:00 AM PDT

Researchers have made a discovery that could lead to the development of more effective treatments for a number of diseases. They have shown that a protein produced when cells are stressed interacts with a stress sensor allowing cells to survive conditions of intense stress. Understanding this interaction may help scientists interfere with cancer cells so the cells can no longer survive exposure to stressful conditions.

Red hot chili peppers arrive in sub-zero Arctic Seed Vault

Posted: 12 Jul 2010 05:00 AM PDT

A new collection of some of North America's hottest foods -- an eclectic range of New World chili peppers -- were delivered to the cool Arctic Circle environs of the Svalbard Global Seed Vault this week, where their exotic tongue-scorching qualities can be kept safe for centuries.

Violence, not overdose, the likely method of suicide in veterans with substance use disorders

Posted: 12 Jul 2010 05:00 AM PDT

Veterans with substance use disorders who die by suicide are more likely to use violent means (such as a firearm) rather than nonviolent means (such as a drug overdose), new research suggests.

What’s killing farmed salmon? New virus may also pose risk to wild salmon

Posted: 12 Jul 2010 02:00 AM PDT

Epidemics of infectious disease are threatening the farmed fish industry, including one of its most popular products: farmed Atlantic salmon. A team of scientists has found evidence that the disease may be caused by a previously unknown virus.

Fat cells play key role in development of type 2 diabetes

Posted: 12 Jul 2010 02:00 AM PDT

Cellular changes in fat tissue -- not the immune system -- lead to the "hyperinflammation" characteristic of obesity-related glucose intolerance and type 2 diabetes, according to new research.

To predict atherosclerosis, follow the disturbed blood flow

Posted: 12 Jul 2010 02:00 AM PDT

A new animal model of atherosclerosis shows that "disturbed flow" in an artery leads to inflammation followed by clogging of the artery. The model provides insight into how bad blood flow initiates atherosclerosis or good flow such as that improved by aerobic exercise protects against the disease and allows the identification of hundreds of genes turned on or off in atherosclerosis' initial stages.

Mathematical models for breast cancer detection with microwave tomography are cheaper and less risky, research finds

Posted: 12 Jul 2010 02:00 AM PDT

The most popular method of breast cancer detection today is X-ray mammography, which takes images of a compressed breast by low-dose ionizing radiation. However, there are several disadvantages to using X-rays for breast cancer screening, chief among them being the invasiveness of radiation and the high costs. Microwave tomography can provide a cheaper and less risky alternative to X-ray mammography, according to new research.

Big picture: Lipid ordering visualized in a living vertebrate organism

Posted: 12 Jul 2010 02:00 AM PDT

Scientists have obtained the first visualization of the inherent arrangement of lipid molecules in different tissues of a whole, living vertebrate organism. The research validates earlier studies done with primary cells and may lead to a new understanding of the physiological significance of plasma membrane organization.

Should the results of individual genetic studies be disclosed to participants?

Posted: 12 Jul 2010 02:00 AM PDT

Individual results of genetic research studies should not be disclosed to participants without careful consideration, according to experts. The view held by many ethicists that individual genetic research findings should always be reported to participants involved in genetic research studies is perhaps misguided and can lead to misunderstanding, they say.

Computing power cracks egg shell problem

Posted: 11 Jul 2010 11:00 PM PDT

Researchers in the UK have applied computing power to crack a problem in egg shell formation. The work may also give a partial answer to the age old question "what came first the chicken or the egg?"

Length of biological marker associated with risk of cancer

Posted: 11 Jul 2010 11:00 PM PDT

A new study suggests that shorter length of leukocyte telomeres -- chromosome markers of biological aging -- are associated with an increased risk of cancer and death from cancer, according to a new study.

Source of essential nutrients for mid-ocean algae discovered

Posted: 11 Jul 2010 11:00 PM PDT

For almost three decades, oceanographers have been puzzled by the ability of microscopic algae to grow in mid-ocean areas where there is very little nitrate, an essential algal nutrient. In a new study, researchers show that mid-ocean algae obtain nitrate from deep water, as much as 250 meters below the surface. This finding will help scientists predict how open-ocean ecosystems could respond to global warming.

Majority of fevers in African children are not caused by malaria, study finds

Posted: 11 Jul 2010 11:00 PM PDT

In 2007, an estimated 656 million fevers occurred in African children aged 0-4 years, with 78 million children of the 183 million attending a public health care facility likely to have been infected with P. falciparum (range 60-103 million), the parasite that causes the most dangerous form of malaria. These findings come from a modelling system devised by experts from the Malaria Atlas Project.

Archeologists explore rural Galilee and find ancient synagogue

Posted: 11 Jul 2010 11:00 PM PDT

Among various important discoveries, the 2010 Kinneret Regional Project discovered an ancient synagogue, in use at around 400 AD. This year's archeological focus is the first systematic excavation on Horvat Kur, a village inhabited from the Early Roman through the Early Medieval periods located on a gentle hill two kilometers west of the Lake of Galilee. Thirty volunteers – mostly students of theology, religious studies, and archeology – and staff from the Netherlands, Finland, Switzerland, Romania, Belgium, Spain, Israel, and Germany explore the material remains of the village life in Galilee, a region that features very prominently in Early Christian and Rabbinic tradition.

Higher STD rates among users of erectile dysfunction drugs

Posted: 11 Jul 2010 11:00 PM PDT

Physicians who prescribe erectile dysfunction drugs for their male patients should be sure to discuss the importance of safer sex practices, even with older patients.

Rosetta triumphs at asteroid Lutetia

Posted: 11 Jul 2010 08:00 PM PDT

Asteroid Lutetia has been revealed as a battered world of many craters. European Space Agency's Rosetta mission has returned the first close-up images of the asteroid showing it is most probably a primitive survivor from the violent birth of the Solar System.

Painkillers not linked with heart disease in elderly patients and may protect against death, study finds

Posted: 11 Jul 2010 08:00 PM PDT

Commonly used painkillers like ibuprofen do not increase the risk of heart attack in the elderly population, according to a new study.

Plant extract may be effective against inflammatory bowel disease

Posted: 11 Jul 2010 08:00 PM PDT

New research shows an extract made from a food plant in the Brassica family was effective in alleviating signs of ulcerative colitis, an inflammatory bowel condition, in mice.

Home care equivalent to hospital care for some patients with cystic fibrosis, study finds

Posted: 11 Jul 2010 08:00 PM PDT

Patients with cystic fibrosis recover from exacerbations equally well if they are treated at home or in a hospital, according to researchers. Furthermore, longer treatment with antibiotics does not appear to offer any additional benefit over shorter courses.

New biofuels processing method for mobile facilities

Posted: 11 Jul 2010 08:00 PM PDT

Chemical engineers have developed a new method to process agricultural waste and other biomass into biofuels, and they are proposing the creation of mobile processing plants that would rove the Midwest to produce the fuels.

Farmers to get rice-growing advice via text messages

Posted: 11 Jul 2010 08:00 PM PDT

Farmers in the "texting capital" of the world -- the Philippines -- will soon have nutrient management advice tailored specifically to their rice crops delivered to their mobile phones.

Nanoparticles shrink tumors in mice

Posted: 11 Jul 2010 02:00 PM PDT

A new study demonstrates that nanoparticles can store and deliver chemotherapeutic drugs in vivo and effectively suppress tumors in mice. Strikingly, these nanoparticles accumulate in tumor after administration. Furthermore, the researchers showed that these nanoparticles are completely excreted from the body. The findings show promise for further uses of nanoparticles for delivery of chemotherapeutic drugs for cancer therapy.

Novel protein being tested as potential target in Alzheimer's treatment

Posted: 11 Jul 2010 02:00 PM PDT

Scientists have discovered a previously unreported mitochondrial protein that interacts with a protein known to play a role in Alzheimer's disease.

NASA to fly into hurricane research this summer

Posted: 11 Jul 2010 02:00 PM PDT

Three NASA aircraft will begin flights to study tropical cyclones on Aug. 15 during the agency's first major U.S.-based hurricane field campaign since 2001. The Genesis and Rapid Intensification Processes mission, or GRIP, will study the creation and rapid intensification of hurricanes. Advanced instruments from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., will be aboard two of the aircraft.

Hereditary kidney disease linked to genetic location

Posted: 11 Jul 2010 02:00 PM PDT

An in-depth study of a family with multiple generations affected by kidney disease has identified a previously unknown location for a gene abnormality causing focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, according to a new study.

New retrieval method makes studying cancer proteins easier

Posted: 11 Jul 2010 02:00 PM PDT

Researchers can now better retrieve specific proteins needed to study how cancer cells form by using a newly developed technique and synthetic nanopolymer.

Rituals that target customers not always good for business

Posted: 11 Jul 2010 02:00 PM PDT

Businesses make an impression when they sing "Happy Birthday" to customers or cook up entrees right at diners' tables, but not always a good one, new research has found.

New ultrabright source of entangled photon pairs

Posted: 11 Jul 2010 08:00 AM PDT

At the very heart of applications such as quantum cryptography, computation and teleportation lies a fascinating phenomenon known as "entanglement". Two photons are entangled if the properties of one depend on those of the other, whatever the distance separating them. A new source of entangled photons twenty times brighter than all existing systems has been developed by a team in France. This novel device is capable of considerably boosting the rate of quantum communications and constitutes a key component in future quantum logic processes.

A fateful pause: Genetic mechanism once thought rare may allow rapid cell production

Posted: 11 Jul 2010 08:00 AM PDT

We take our blood for granted, but its creation requires a complicated series of steps, starting with the formation of blood stem cells during early embryonic development, followed by progressive differentiation into the progenitors of red cells, white cells and platelets, and ultimately the full set of blood cells. Now, researchers report a surprising twist in how mature red blood cells form.

Borne on the wing: Avian influenza risk in US wild songbirds mapped

Posted: 11 Jul 2010 08:00 AM PDT

Scientists have discovered that 22 species of passerines -- songbirds and perching birds -- in the contiguous U.S. are carriers of low-pathogenicity avian influenza. Pathogenicity is the ability of a germ to produce an infectious disease in an organism. The prevalence of influenza in waterfowl has long been known. But the researchers' analysis indicates that the number of songbird species with low-pathogenicity avian influenza is greater than the number in eight other avian orders, including waterfowl.

Higher-protein diets support weight loss, but may lower bone density in postmenopausal women

Posted: 11 Jul 2010 08:00 AM PDT

Overweight and moderately obese postmenopausal women using diets based on higher protein intake also need to be aware of potential bone loss, according to new research.

Chemical quality of rivers revealed by small freshwater shrimp

Posted: 11 Jul 2010 08:00 AM PDT

Biological markers detect the presence of toxic substances in the environment. In implementing the European water framework directive, scientists use Gammarus, a small freshwater shrimp present in all rivers, as a marker. They observe the impact of contamination on the main vital functions of the animal, which thus serves as a sentinel for rivers.

Simple massage relieves chronic tension headache, study finds

Posted: 11 Jul 2010 08:00 AM PDT

Researchers in Spain have shown that the psychological and physiological state of patients with tension headache improves within 24 hours after receiving a 30-minute massage.

Sirtuin1 may boost memory and learning ability; Discovery could lead to new drugs to fight Alzheimer's, other neurological diseases

Posted: 10 Jul 2010 09:00 PM PDT

The same molecular mechanism that increases life span through calorie restriction may help boost memory and brainpower, researchers report.

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