ScienceDaily: Latest Science News |
| New Research On Octopuses Sheds Light On Memory Posted: 18 Jun 2008 10:00 AM CDT Research on octopuses has shed new light on how our brains store and recall memory. Why octopuses? Octopuses and other related creatures, known as cephalopods, are considered to be the most intelligent invertebrates because they have relatively large brains and they can be trained for various learning and memory tasks.  |
| Abortion Drug's Off-label Use May Have Led To Deaths Posted: 18 Jun 2008 10:00 AM CDT Scientists suggests that the immunosuppressive effect of the drug misoprostol, if given vaginally rather than orally along with RU-486 to terminate a pregnancy, is likely the reason a small number of women taking the two-drug combination have contracted a rare, fatal bacterial infection.  |
| Get A Little Sun This Summer -- It Could Help Save Your Life, Researcher Suggests Posted: 18 Jun 2008 10:00 AM CDT As summer comes and people across America get ready to start slathering on the sunscreen, a note of caution is in order -- a little sunshine is good for you. Studies increasingly are suggesting the value of vitamin D -- often known as the sunshine vitamin, because that's one way you can obtain it -- in everything from bone metabolism to maintaining muscle strength, immune function, reducing hypertension and possibly even playing a role in prevention of cancer and autoimmune disease.  |
| Aerobic Exercise Increases A Blood Protein That May Suppress Appetite Posted: 18 Jun 2008 10:00 AM CDT Three months of aerobic exercise decreased body fat and calorie intake in overweight and obese people, according to a new study, and the researchers believe that changes to a central nervous system factor are responsible.  |
| Perfecting A Solar Cell By Adding Imperfections Posted: 18 Jun 2008 10:00 AM CDT Nanotechnology is paving the way toward improved solar cells. New research shows that a film of carbon nanotubes may be able to replace two of the layers normally used in a solar cell, with improved performance at a lower cost. Researchers have found a surprising way to give the nanotubes the properties they need: add defects. Currently, these solar cells, called dye-sensitized solar cells, have a transparent film made of an oxide that is applied to glass and conducts electricity. In addition, a separate film made of platinum acts as a catalyst to speed the chemical reactions involved.  |
| Type And Severity Of Combat Wounds In Iraq War Have Changed Over Time Posted: 18 Jun 2008 10:00 AM CDT The transition in Iraq from maneuver warfare to insurgency warfare is associated with changes in the type and severity of injuries treated by surgical units of the U.S. Marine Corps, according to a new report. In the second, insurgent phase of the war, injuries have been more severe, transport times longer, more injuries have occurred per individual and more soldiers have been killed in action or died of their wounds.  |
| Symmetry Of Homosexual Brain Resembles That Of Opposite Sex, Swedish Study Finds Posted: 18 Jun 2008 07:00 AM CDT Swedish researchers have found that some physical attributes of the homosexual brain resemble those found in the opposite sex.  |
| Grape Seed Extract May Reduce Cognitive Decline Associated With Alzheimer's Disease Posted: 18 Jun 2008 07:00 AM CDT A compound found in grape seed extract reduces plaque formation and resulting cognitive impairment in an animal model of Alzheimer's disease, new research shows. The nutritional supplement was as effective as red wine in preventing amyloid beta plaque build up.  |
| Engineering Students Launch Record-breaking Balloon Posted: 18 Jun 2008 07:00 AM CDT Early-career engineers at Lockheed Martin who are also earning engineering degrees at Cornell broke the world amateur high-altitude balloon record in a recent near-space flight that exceeded 125,000 feet. The students' flight beat the previous amateur altitude record by nearly 5,000 feet.  |
| Key Developmental Pathway Activates Lung Stem Cells Posted: 18 Jun 2008 07:00 AM CDT Researchers found that the activation of a molecular pathway important in stem cell and developmental biology leads to the increase in lung stem cells. Harnessing this knowledge could help develop therapies for lung-tissue repair after injury or disease.  |
| Promising Step Towards More Effective Hydrogen Storage Posted: 18 Jun 2008 07:00 AM CDT Scientists have demonstrated an atomistic mechanism of hydrogen release in magnesium nanoparticles -- a potential hydrogen storage material.  |
| Athletic Benefit Of Growth Hormone Doping: Is It All In The Athlete's Mind? Posted: 18 Jun 2008 07:00 AM CDT If athletes believe they are using a performing-enhancing drug, they may think their athletic performance improves, and in some men it can, even if they are actually taking a dummy drug, a new study has found.  |
| Shallow Water Corals Evolved From Deep Sea Ancestors Posted: 18 Jun 2008 04:00 AM CDT New research shows that the second most diverse group of hard corals first evolved in the deep sea, and not in shallow waters. Stylasterids, or lace corals, diversified in deep waters before launching at least three successful invasions of shallow water tropical habitats in the past 40 million years. This finding provides the first strong evidence that a group of deep-sea animals invaded and diversified in shallow waters.  |
| New Study Shows Potential To Treat Or Prevent Viral Cancers Posted: 18 Jun 2008 04:00 AM CDT A new study shows that radioimmunotherapy targeting viral antigens offers a novel option to treat -- or even prevent -- many viral cancers by targeting cancer cells expressing viral antigens or infected cells before they convert into malignancy.  |
| Phoenix Makes First Trench In Science Preserve Posted: 18 Jun 2008 04:00 AM CDT NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander began digging in an area called "Wonderland" early Tuesday, taking its first scoop of soil from a polygonal surface feature within the "national park" region that mission scientists have been preserving for science.  |
| Anti-inflammatory Effects Of Pomegranate In Rabbits: A Potential Treatment In Humans? Posted: 18 Jun 2008 04:00 AM CDT Oral ingestion of pomegranate extract reduces the production of chemicals that cause inflammation. The findings indicate that pomegranate extract may provide humans with relief of chronic inflammatory conditions.  |
| Natural Plant Materials To Regulate Starch Digestion Posted: 18 Jun 2008 04:00 AM CDT Researchers in Switzerland are reporting discovery of natural plant materials that may regulate starch digestion -- slowing down the body's conversion of potatoes, rice, and other carbohydrate-rich foods into sugar. The findings could lead to new functional foods that fight diabetes according to research in the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry.  |
| 'Hazardous Drinking' May Be A New 'Check Stop' On The Way To Alcohol Dependence Posted: 18 Jun 2008 04:00 AM CDT Current diagnostic guides divide alcohol-use disorders into two categories: alcohol abuse/harmful use and alcohol dependence. Some researchers and clinicians believe this is insufficient, that there should be a third, preceding diagnosis known as "hazardous drinking," defined as drinking more than guidelines recommend. A Finnish study has found that hazardous drinking is quite common.  |
| Posted: 18 Jun 2008 01:00 AM CDT A new study found that ego defensiveness, one of the triggers that ignites road rage, also kicks off parental "sideline rage," and that a parent with a control-oriented personality is more likely to react to that trigger by becoming angry and aggressive.  |
| Ability To Track Stem Cells In Tumors Could Advance Cancer Treatments Posted: 18 Jun 2008 01:00 AM CDT Using noninvasive molecular imaging technology, a method has been developed to track the location and activity of mesenchymal stem cells in the tumors of living organisms. This ability could lead to major advances in the use of stem cell therapies to treat cancer.  |
| Posted: 18 Jun 2008 01:00 AM CDT New medical equipment recently delivered to the Antarctic station Concordia will help understand how our bodies physically adapt to this extreme environment -- knowledge which could help prepare for a future human mission to Mars. ESA is currently looking for a candidate with a medical background to support projects at the research base.  |
| Serum Sodium Predicts Mortality 10 Times Higher In PAH Patients Posted: 18 Jun 2008 01:00 AM CDT Patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension -- chronically high blood pressure in the blood vessels of the lungs -- whose serum sodium levels are low have a very poor chance of survival and a high rate of right-heart failure, according to new research.  |
| Threatened Or Invasive? Species' Fates Identified Posted: 18 Jun 2008 01:00 AM CDT A new ecological study should help identify species prone to extinction under environmental change, and species that are likely to become a pest. The researchers analysed life-history and ecological traits in more than 8900 species of the legume, or the Fabaceae plant family, and found a correlation between evolved species' traits and a particular susceptibility to a species becoming threatened or invasive.  |
| Focus Attention Upon Distributors Of Human Growth Hormone, Scientists Urge Posted: 18 Jun 2008 01:00 AM CDT A great deal of attention has been paid to the use of growth hormone by elite athletes and a few vocal entertainers. But underlying this tip of the iceberg is a $2 billion dollar a year business, likely involving hundreds of thousands of regular people, and promoted by anti-aging and age-management clinics and compounding pharmacies who aggressively market and sell growth hormone with the claim that it has anti-aging or athletic enhancing properties.  |
| Bee Species Outnumber Mammals And Birds Combined Posted: 17 Jun 2008 10:00 PM CDT Scientists have discovered that there are more bee species than previously thought. In the first global accounting of bee species in over a hundred years, scientists at the Division of Invertebrate Zoology at the American Museum of Natural History compiled online species pages and distribution maps for more than 19,200 described bee species, showcasing the diversity of these essential pollinators.  |
| Researchers Use A Patient's Own Bone To Accelerate Orthodontics Posted: 17 Jun 2008 10:00 PM CDT Researchers at the University of Southern California School of Dentistry say they have improved upon a surgical procedure that rapidly straightens teeth, delivering a healthy bite and attractive smile in months instead of years.  |
| Significant Efficacy Of Travelers' Diarrhea Vaccine Shown Posted: 17 Jun 2008 10:00 PM CDT Researchers have found that patients given a travelers' diarrhea vaccine were significantly less likely to suffer from clinically significant diarrhea than those who received placebo, according to a new study. The patch-based vaccine is part of the Phase 2 study in conjunction with the Iomai Corp.  |
| Phoenix Lander Bakes Sample, Arm Digs Deeper Posted: 17 Jun 2008 10:00 PM CDT One of the ovens on NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander continued baking its first sample of Martian soil over the weekend, while the Robotic Arm dug deeper into the soil to learn more about white material first revealed on June 3.  |
| Nerves Behind Pain Relief Provided By Stressful Situations Posted: 17 Jun 2008 10:00 PM CDT The increased beating of the heart that one experiences when in a stressful situation is just one part of the body's response, often known as the "fight-or-flight response", to stress. Another component of the fight-or-flight response is the suppression of pain, also known as stress-induced analgesia. New research has now revealed that nerves producing the peptide N/ORQ and nerves producing the peptide Hcrt are key regulators of SIA in mice.  |
| Posted: 17 Jun 2008 10:00 PM CDT Recombination at centromeres is higher than anywhere else on the chromosome, even though methyltransferases do their best to prevent it, according to new research. Centromeric recombination has been hard to study because the DNA at centromeres is so repetitive -- it's hard to see when a segment has switched chromatids.  |
| Being Overweight Does Not Result In Decreased Sperm Production, Study Shows Posted: 17 Jun 2008 10:00 PM CDT Overweight men are not more likely to be infertile, as past research has shown to be true in obese women, according to a new study. Findings of the study, performed in New York in nearly 300 very overweight men, were unexpected.  |
| Nanotechnology, Biomolecules And Light Unite To 'Cook' Cancer Cells Posted: 17 Jun 2008 07:00 PM CDT Researchers are testing a new way to kill cancer cells selectively by attaching cancer-seeking antibodies to tiny carbon tubes that heat up when exposed to near-infrared light.  |
| Hot Flashes Under-reported, And Linked To Forgetfulness Posted: 17 Jun 2008 07:00 PM CDT Women in midlife under-report the number of hot flashes that they experience by more than 40 percent, and these hot flashes are linked to poor verbal memory, according to a new study.  |
| Golfers And Golf Courses Benefit From Native Grasses In Roughs Posted: 17 Jun 2008 07:00 PM CDT Some golfers may prefer a well-manicured golf course, highly-maintained with very green, very short grass that's easy to play off of. But, according to two recent studies, a naturalized landscape that incorporates native grasses benefits biodiversity, saves costs on pesticides and labor for the golf course, and could create a course which is just as challenging for golfers.  |
| On The Evolutionary Trail Of Molecules That Cause Lou Gehrig's Disease Posted: 17 Jun 2008 07:00 PM CDT What became a scientific quest a few scientists began with trying to define the function of a protein that plays a role in the nervous system. That led to work with similar proteins in the nerve cells of worms, fruit flies, and people and culminated in important clues about what goes wrong in the nerves and muscles of people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (better known as ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease).  |
| Ultra Low-cost Plastic Memory Developed Posted: 17 Jun 2008 07:00 PM CDT Researchers have developed a technology for a plastic ferro-electric diode which they believe will achieve a breakthrough in the development of ultra low-cost plastic memory material.  |
| Posted: 17 Jun 2008 07:00 PM CDT Concerned by the growing numbers of people using stimulant medications such as methylphenidate -- either legally or illegally -- to improve attention and focus, researchers used positron emission tomography imaging with the radiotracer fluorodeoxyglucose to assess the effects of the drug on brain function in the normal human brain.  |
| First Successful Reverse Vasectomy On Endangered Species Performed At The National Zoo Posted: 17 Jun 2008 04:00 PM CDT Veterinarians at the Smithsonian's National Zoo performed the first successful reverse vasectomy on a Przewalski's horse. Przewalksi's horses are a horse species native to China and Mongolia that was declared extinct in the wild in 1970.  |
| Possible Link Between Different Forms Of Epilepsy Discovered Posted: 17 Jun 2008 04:00 PM CDT Carnegie Mellon neuroscientists have identified what may be the first known common denominator underlying inherited and sporadic epilepsy -- a disruption in an ion channel called the BK channel. Although BK channels have been linked to a rare, familial form of epilepsy, their involvement in other types of seizure disorders has never been demonstrated. These findings indicate that BK channels are a new target for anticonvulsant therapies, offering new hope to individuals suffering from epilepsy.  |
| Chemists Get Scoop On Crude 'Oil' From Pig Manure Posted: 17 Jun 2008 04:00 PM CDT Researchers have developed the first detailed chemical analysis revealing what processing is needed to transform pig manure derived 'crude oil' into fuel for vehicles or heating. Mass production of this type of biofuel could help consume a waste product overflowing at US farms, but it will require a lot of refining.  |
| Hearing Loss Is Twice As Common In People With Diabetes Compared To Those WIthout The Disease Posted: 17 Jun 2008 04:00 PM CDT Hearing loss is about twice as common in adults with diabetes compared to those who do not have the disease, according to a new study. Also, adults with pre-diabetes, whose blood glucose is higher than normal but not high enough for a diabetes diagnosis, had a 30 percent higher rate of hearing loss compared to those with normal blood sugar tested after an overnight fast.  |
| 'Nanoglassblowing' Seen As Boon To Study Of Individual Molecules Posted: 17 Jun 2008 04:00 PM CDT Researchers have developed a new fabrication technique called 'nanoglassblowing' that creates nanoscale fluidic devices to isolate and study single molecules in solution, including individual DNA strands.  |
| Learning From The Dead: What Facial Muscles Can Tell Us About Emotion Posted: 17 Jun 2008 04:00 PM CDT Laugh and the world laughs with you, but wrinkle your nose and you could find yourself on your own. A scientist who examined the facial muscles in cadavers has found that the muscles which control our facial expressions are not common to everyone.  |
| Posted: 17 Jun 2008 01:00 PM CDT Lizards that run on two legs haven't evolved to pull the stunt; they're simply pulling a wheelie. Researchers have found that lizards shift their center of mass back as they accelerate forward so that they're forelimbs lift off the ground leaving them running on two legs.  |
| Heightened Sense Of Taste Can Promote Weight Loss Posted: 17 Jun 2008 01:00 PM CDT People can lose weight by flavoring their food with calorie-free seasonings and sweeteners, which may make them feel full faster and decrease their consumption, according to a new study.  |
| From Canada To The Caribbean: Tree Leaves Control Their Own Temperature, Study Reveals Posted: 17 Jun 2008 01:00 PM CDT The temperature inside a healthy, photosynthesizing tree leaf, about 21 degrees C, is affected less by outside environmental temperature than originally believed, according to new research from biologists at the University of Pennsylvania. Surveying 39 tree species ranging in location from subtropical to boreal climates, researchers found a nearly constant temperature in tree leaves. These findings provide new understanding of how tree branches and leaves maintain a homeostatic temperature considered ideal for photosynthesis and suggests that plant physiology and ecology are important factors to consider as biologists tap trees to investigate climate change.  |
| Hand Bone Mineral Density Is An Effective Predictor Of Mortality In Rheumatoid Arthritis Posted: 17 Jun 2008 01:00 PM CDT Low bone mineral density in the hand is a valid predictor of overall mortality in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and indicates long-term prognosis, according to a new study. Digital X-ray radiogrammetry demonstrated bone mineral density to be as effective predicting mortality as well-established means of assessment such as radiographic damage and functional disability.  |
| Diamonds Reveal Deep Source Of Platinum Deposits Posted: 17 Jun 2008 01:00 PM CDT The world's richest source of platinum and related metals is an enigmatic geological structure in South Africa known as the Bushveld Complex. The source of its metallic riches has long been a matter of scientific dispute. Now researchers have traced the origin of the unique ore deposits by using another of South Africa's treasures -- diamonds.  |
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