Monday, July 06, 2009

ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

ScienceDaily: Latest Science News


Caffeine Reverses Memory Impairment In Mice With Alzheimer's Symptoms

Posted: 06 Jul 2009 11:00 AM PDT

Coffee drinkers may have another reason to pour that extra cup. When aged mice bred to develop symptoms of Alzheimer's disease were given caffeine -- the equivalent of five cups of coffee a day -- their memory impairment was reversed, report researchers.

Immune System Linked To Schizophrenia

Posted: 06 Jul 2009 11:00 AM PDT

Researchers have, for the first time, identified additional genes that confirm what scientists have long suspected -- that the immune system may play a role in the development of schizophrenia. Further, they have also identified genetic anomalies that disrupt the cellular pathways involved in brain development, memory and cognition, all markers of schizophrenia.

Potential New Drugs: 970 Million And Still Counting

Posted: 06 Jul 2009 11:00 AM PDT

Like astronomers counting stars in the familiar universe of outer space, chemists in Switzerland are reporting the latest results of a survey of chemical space -- the so-called chemical universe where tomorrow's miracle drugs may reside. The scientists conclude, based on this phase of the ongoing count, that there are 970 million chemicals suitable for study as new drugs.

Controversial Cancer Stem Cells Offer New Direction For Treatment

Posted: 06 Jul 2009 11:00 AM PDT

Researchers sort out the controversy and promise around a dangerous subtype of cancer cells, known as cancer stem cells, which seem capable of resisting many modern treatments.

Many Antarctic Species Ill Prepared To Cope With Warmer Ocean

Posted: 06 Jul 2009 11:00 AM PDT

Researchers subjected species found in Antarctic waters to increasing levels of water temperature to learn how well they would cope with a warmer ocean. The study shows that several of these species are already living really close to their upper temperature range, and that further increases could easily provoke serious ecological imbalances in this region.

Women More Accurate At Hammering A Nail Than Men In Good Light

Posted: 06 Jul 2009 11:00 AM PDT

Scientists are studying hammering ability as a model for difficult motor tasks. The results indicate that there is a surprising difference in performance between the sexes, and that this difference is dependent in turn on the hammering conditions.

Super-size Deposits Of Frozen Carbon In Arctic Could Worsen Climate Change

Posted: 06 Jul 2009 08:00 AM PDT

The vast amount of carbon stored in the Arctic and boreal regions of the world is more than double that previously estimated, according to a new study. The new estimate is over 1.5 trillion tons of frozen carbon, about twice as much carbon as contained in the atmosphere.

Vitamin D Deficiency Is Widespread And On The Increase

Posted: 06 Jul 2009 08:00 AM PDT

A new report shows that populations across the globe are suffering from the impact of low levels of vitamin D. The problem is widespread and on the increase, with potentially severe repercussions for overall health and fracture rates.

Melons Sweetened With DNA Sequence

Posted: 06 Jul 2009 08:00 AM PDT

People smell them, thump them and eyeball their shape. But ultimately, it's sweetness and a sense of healthy eating that lands a melon in a shopper's cart. Plant breeders now have a better chance to pinpoint such traits for new varieties, because the melon genome with hundreds of DNA markers has now been mapped. That means tastier and healthier melons are likely for future summer picnics.

Varying Reductions In Breast Cancer Suggest Hormone Therapy To Blame

Posted: 06 Jul 2009 08:00 AM PDT

The recent decline in invasive breast cancer in the US was significantly less pronounced in the poor and those who live in rural areas. Researchers suggest this may be due to varying reductions in the numbers of women taking hormone therapy.

Ancient Supervolcano's Eruption Caused Decade Of Severe Winters

Posted: 06 Jul 2009 08:00 AM PDT

Previous studies have suggested that Indonesia's Toba supervolcano, when it erupted about 74,000 years ago, triggered a 1,000-year episode of ice sheet advance, and also may have produced a short-lived "volcanic winter," which drastically reduced the human population at the time. Researchers have now found that none of the models to simulate the supervolcanic eruption initiate glaciation.

Dangerous Liaisons: Bacterial 'Sex' Causes Antibiotic Resistance

Posted: 06 Jul 2009 08:00 AM PDT

Some disease-causing bacteria are becoming resistant to antibiotics because they have peculiar sex lives, say researchers publishing new results in the journal Science. The new study helps scientists understand how bacteria develop resistance to antibiotics, which is a major challenge for those treating infectious diseases.

Scientists Develop Echolocation In Humans To Aid The Blind

Posted: 06 Jul 2009 05:00 AM PDT

Scientists have shown that human beings can develop echolocation, the system of acoustic signals used by dolphins and bats to explore their surroundings. Producing certain kinds of tongue clicks helps people to identify objects around them without needing to see them, something which would be especially useful for the blind.

MicroRNAs Hold Promise For Treating Diseases In Blood Vessels

Posted: 06 Jul 2009 05:00 AM PDT

A newly discovered mechanism controls whether muscle cells in blood vessels hasten the development of both atherosclerosis and Alzheimer's disease, according to a new article.

Ultrasensitive Detector Promises Improved Treatment Of Viral Respiratory Infections

Posted: 06 Jul 2009 05:00 AM PDT

Chemists and biomedical engineers have developed a respiratory virus detector that is sensitive enough to detect an infection at an early stage, takes only a few minutes to return a result and is simple enough to be performed in a pediatrician's office.

New Mechanism For Amyloid Beta Protein's Toxic Impact On The Alzheimer's Brain

Posted: 06 Jul 2009 05:00 AM PDT

Scientists have uncovered a novel mechanism linking soluble amyloid b protein with the synaptic injury and memory loss associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD). The research provides critical new insight into disease pathogenesis and reveals signaling molecules that may serve as potential additional therapeutic targets for AD.

Integrated Optical Trap Holds Particles For On-chip Analysis

Posted: 06 Jul 2009 05:00 AM PDT

A new type of optical particle trap can be used to manipulate bacteria, viruses and other particles on a chip as part of an integrated optofluidic platform.

Composer Richard Wagner's 'Difficult' Reputation Unwarranted, Says Research

Posted: 06 Jul 2009 05:00 AM PDT

The composer Richard Wagner is well-known, even notorious, for writing operas that can challenge both performers and listeners. A new study reveals that Wagner set his text to music in a way that uses the acoustics of the soprano voice in a manner that helps both performers and listeners.

Paralyzed People Using Computers, Amputees Controlling Bionic Limbs, With Microelectrodes On (Not In) Brain

Posted: 06 Jul 2009 02:00 AM PDT

Experimental devices that read brain signals have helped paralyzed people use computers and may let amputees control bionic limbs. But existing devices use tiny electrodes that poke into the brain. A new study shows that brain signals controlling arm movements can be detected accurately using new microelectrodes that sit on the brain but don't penetrate it.

Large-scale Analysis Finds Bariatric Surgery Relatively Safe

Posted: 06 Jul 2009 02:00 AM PDT

Advances in weight-loss surgery have made it as safe as any routine surgical procedure, according to a researcher who reviewed data from nearly 60,000 patients, and found it resulted in low complication and mortality rates.

Once-a-month Pill For Both Fleas And Ticks In Dogs And Cats

Posted: 06 Jul 2009 02:00 AM PDT

Scientists are describing discovery and successful tests of the first once-a-month pill for controlling both fleas and ticks in domestic dogs and cats. 

Rotator Cuff Treatment Provides Immediate Tendonitis Relief

Posted: 06 Jul 2009 02:00 AM PDT

A minimally invasive procedure to treat tendinitis in the rotator cuff of the shoulder provides immediate symptom relief to the patient, according to a new study. The study found that ultrasound-guided nonsurgical therapy significantly reduces pain from calcific tendinitis of the rotator cuff, and restores lasting mobility after treatment.

International Space Hotel Envisioned

Posted: 06 Jul 2009 02:00 AM PDT

Plans for a new international space hotel students have been unveiled by students this month as part of a project for their Masters degree. Students had to grapple with the challenges of designing that could function in a zero gravity environment.

Psychotherapy Of Depression Changes Biological Parameters?

Posted: 06 Jul 2009 02:00 AM PDT

Investigators have demonstrated that the early increase in phosphorylated CREB (pCREB) is related to treatment response and does not depend on pharmacological interventions or brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) plasma levels. For the first time, cellular biological markers could be associated with response to psychotherapy.

Disappearing Seagrass Threatening Future Of Coastal Ecosystems Globally

Posted: 05 Jul 2009 11:00 PM PDT

An international team of scientists warns that accelerating losses of seagrasses across the globe threaten the immediate health and long-term sustainability of coastal ecosystems. The team has compiled and analyzed the first comprehensive global assessment of seagrass observations and found that 58 percent of world's seagrass meadows are currently declining.

DNA Variations Linked To Brain Tumors

Posted: 05 Jul 2009 11:00 PM PDT

Scientists have found a connection between DNA alterations on human chromosome 9 and aggressive brain cancer known as glioblastoma.

Hand-held Aerosol Sensors Help Fill Crucial Data Gap Over Oceans

Posted: 05 Jul 2009 11:00 PM PDT

Since NASA researchers began assembling the Aerosol Robotic Network in the 1990s, the worldwide network of ground-based aerosol sensors has grown to 400 sites across seven continents. The trouble is that two-thirds of the planet is covered by ocean. And aerosols -- the tiny atmospheric particles that can have an outsized impact on the climate -- are just as likely to be found in the air above the oceans as they are over land.

New Control System Of The Body Discovered

Posted: 05 Jul 2009 11:00 PM PDT

Researchers have ameliorated inflammation of the brain in mice caused by immune cells. A receptor they discovered on T cells in the CNS plays the key role. They showed that this bradykinin receptor 1 controls the infiltration of immune cells into the CNS. When they activated B1 in mice with encephalitis, the inflammation markedly decreased. This may unveil a new target for the treatment of diseases such as multiple sclerosis.

World's Largest Aerosol Sensing Network Has Leafy Origins

Posted: 05 Jul 2009 11:00 PM PDT

From his office at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., Brent Holben helps manage the world's largest network of ground-based sensors for aerosols -- tiny specks of solids and liquids that waft about in the atmosphere. These particles come from both human and natural sources, and can be observed everywhere in the world.

Learning More About The Placebo Effect

Posted: 05 Jul 2009 11:00 PM PDT

In a recent trial, a sample of alcohol-dependent patients received naltrexone, acamprosate or placebo for 12 weeks. While there were no differences in outcomes between treatment groups, those who believed they had been taking active medication consumed fewer alcoholic drinks and reported less alcohol dependence and cravings. That is, irrespective of actual treatment, perceived medication allocation predicted health outcomes.

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ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

ScienceDaily: Latest Science News


Researchers Unveil Whiskered Robot Rat

Posted: 05 Jul 2009 08:00 PM PDT

Scientists have developed an innovative robot rat which can seek out and identify objects using its whiskers. The SCRATCHbot robot will be demonstrated at an international workshop looking at how robots can help us examine the workings of the brain.

Clocking Salt Levels In The Blood: Link Between The Circadian Rhythm And Salt Balance

Posted: 05 Jul 2009 08:00 PM PDT

New research suggests a link between the circadian rhythm and control of sodium (salt) levels in the blood of mice. Specifically, the circadian clock protein Period 1 was found to function downstream of the hormone aldosterone (a known controller of blood sodium levels and thereby blood pressure) to regulate levels of the alpha-subunit of the epithelial sodium channel in the mouse kidney.

Castor-oil Plants Genetically Altered To Produce New Bio-lubricants

Posted: 05 Jul 2009 08:00 PM PDT

Researchers have genetically altered castor-oil plant so as to use it as a factory to produce bio lubricants.

No Evidence That WHO-recommended Treatment For Insecticide Poisoning Improves Survival

Posted: 05 Jul 2009 08:00 PM PDT

A new study finds no evidence to suggest that a controversial antidote recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) to treat patients poisoned with highly toxic insecticides improves their chance of survival. The results may even add weight to existing concerns about pralidoxime, the treatment recommended by the WHO, by suggesting that it could be harmful in patients who have deliberately poisoned themselves with insecticides.

First Wave Of Swine Flu Hit Young People Harder Than Expected

Posted: 05 Jul 2009 08:00 PM PDT

A mathematical epidemiologist is researching the A(H1N1) influenza pandemic strain circulating around the world. The new study's findings reveal an age shift in the proportion of cases toward a younger population when compared with historical patterns of seasonal influenza in Mexico. "For the 1918 ("Spanish flu") influenza pandemic, this was the pattern -- first a mild wave, and then a severe one with higher case fatality rates," notes one of the researchers.

Does Study Design Influence Clinical Outcome?

Posted: 05 Jul 2009 08:00 PM PDT

Response and remission rates to antidepressants are significantly affected by study type and duration. Clinicians and researchers must consider the study design when interpreting and designing RCTs of antidepressant medications, researchers urge.

World's First 'Self-Watering' Plant: Desert Rhubarb

Posted: 05 Jul 2009 02:00 PM PDT

Researchers have managed to make out the "self-irrigating" mechanism of the desert rhubarb, which enables it to harvest 16 times the amount of water than otherwise expected for a plant in this region based on the quantities of rain in the desert. This is the first example of a self-irrigating plant worldwide.

Secrets Revealed About How Disease-causing DNA Mutations Occur

Posted: 05 Jul 2009 02:00 PM PDT

Scientists have shed light on the processes that lead to certain human DNA mutations that are implicated in hundreds of inherited diseases. The results one day could influence the way couples who seek to have children receive genetic counseling.

A Young Brain For An Old Bee

Posted: 05 Jul 2009 02:00 PM PDT

Scientists have found that by switching the social role of honey bees, aging honey bees can keep their learning ability intact or even improve it. The research team is hoping to use them as a model to study general aging processes in the brain and how to prevent or ameliorate cognitive impairments associated with old age.

Accelerated Fertility Treatment Leads To Shortened Time To Pregnancy And Cost Savings

Posted: 05 Jul 2009 02:00 PM PDT

For couples beginning infertility treatments, an accelerated path to in-vitro fertilization can offer a shorter time to pregnancy, cost savings of nearly $10,000, and a lowered risk of multiple births.

Desert Dust Alters Ecology Of Colorado Alpine Meadows

Posted: 05 Jul 2009 02:00 PM PDT

Accelerated snowmelt -- precipitated by desert dust blowing into the mountains -- changes how alpine plants respond to seasonal climate cues that regulate their life cycles, according to a new study. These results indicate that global warming may have a greater influence on plants' annual growth cycles than previously thought.

Discovery May Provide New Treatments For Alcohol Dependence

Posted: 05 Jul 2009 02:00 PM PDT

Researchers have discovered a new brain mechanism involved in alcohol addiction involving the stomach hormone ghrelin. When ghrelin's actions in the brain are blocked, alcohol's effects on the reward system are reduced. It is an important discovery that could lead to new therapies for addictions such as alcohol dependence.

Inexpensive Thin Printable Batteries Developed

Posted: 05 Jul 2009 08:00 AM PDT

For a long time, batteries were bulky and heavy. Now, a new cutting-edge battery is revolutionizing the field. It is thinner than a millimeter, lighter than a gram, and can be produced cost-effectively through a printing process.

Researchers Discover New Information On Spreading Of Cancer

Posted: 05 Jul 2009 08:00 AM PDT

Researchers have discovered a mechanism lung cancer cells use when spreading into the body to form metastases. They have also found a factor controlling the spreading of several different cancer types. The common feature in both findings is that they explain the lethal ability of cancer cells to "start running" and spread from the original tumor to other parts of the body.

Innovative Technology Shatters The Barriers Of Modern Light Microscopy

Posted: 05 Jul 2009 08:00 AM PDT

Researchers are using a combination of light and ultrasound to visualize fluorescent proteins that are seated several centimeters deep into living tissue.

New Way To Fix Leaking Mitral Heart Valves Safe In Initial Testing, Study Shows

Posted: 05 Jul 2009 08:00 AM PDT

A novel method to seal leaking heart valves was shown to be safe in its first use in heart failure patients. If effective in larger trials, the PTMA system could significantly reduce the life-threatening risks associated with surgical repair of the mitral valve.

Fast Neutral Hydrogen Detected Coming From The Moon

Posted: 05 Jul 2009 08:00 AM PDT

NASA's Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) spacecraft has made the first observations of very fast hydrogen atoms coming from the moon, following decades of speculation and searching for their existence.

Zooming In To Catch The Bad Guys: New 'Perfection Tool' From Researchers In Israel Enhances Video To Catch Criminals And Terrorists

Posted: 05 Jul 2009 08:00 AM PDT

It's a frequent scene in television crime dramas: Clever police technicians zoom in on a security camera video to read a license plate or capture the face of a hold-up artist. But in real life, enhancing this low-quality video to focus in on important clues hasn't been an easy task. Until now. Researchers in Israel have developed a new video "perfection tool" to help investigators enhance raw video images and identify suspects.

Late Blight -- Irish Potato Famine Fungus -- Attacks U.S. Northeast Gardens And Farms Hard

Posted: 05 Jul 2009 02:00 AM PDT

Home gardeners beware: This year, late blight -- a destructive infectious disease that caused the Irish potato famine in the 1840s -- is killing tomato and potato plants in gardens and on commercial farms in the eastern United States. In addition, basil downy mildew is affecting plants in the Northeast.

Researchers Describe The 90-year Evolution Of Swine Flu

Posted: 05 Jul 2009 02:00 AM PDT

The current H1N1 swine flu strain has genetic roots in an illness that sickened pigs at the 1918 Cedar Rapids Swine Show in Iowa, report experts. Their paper describes H1N1's nearly century-long and often convoluted journey, which may include the accidental resurrection of an extinct strain.

Tubules 'Grown' From Droplets

Posted: 05 Jul 2009 02:00 AM PDT

Since the discovery of carbon nanotubes in the early 1990s, nanotubes and nanowires have been the focus of scientific and technological interest. It has since also proved possible to produce these tiny structures from materials other than carbon. Possible applications range across many areas, including microelectronic circuits, sensor technology, and special fibre optics and light-emitting nanotubes for displays.

Gene Map Aims To Combat Blood Flukes

Posted: 05 Jul 2009 02:00 AM PDT

The first microsatellite-based genetic linkage map has been published for Schistosoma mansoni, a blood fluke that is known to infect over 90 million people in Africa, the Middle East and the New World. Researchers hope the map will stimulate research and open doors to new advances in combating this neglected human pathogen.

White Phosphorous Can Be Safely Handled And Transported With New Technique, Researchers Say

Posted: 05 Jul 2009 02:00 AM PDT

Researchers have discovered a technique to safely handle and transport white phosphorous.

Mom’s Weight During Pregnancy Affects Her Daughter’s Risk Of Being Obese

Posted: 05 Jul 2009 02:00 AM PDT

A mother's weight and the amount she gains during pregnancy both impact her daughter's risk of obesity decades later, according to a new study.