ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

When Using Gestures, Rules Of Grammar Remain The Same Posted: 07 Jul 2008 10:00 AM CDT The mind apparently has a consistent way of ordering an event that defies the order in which subjects, verbs and objects typically appear in languages. Although speakers of different languages describe events using the word orders prescribed by their language, when the same speakers are asked to "speak" with their hands and not their mouths, they ignore these orders -- they all use exactly the same order when they gesture.

Aggressive Treatment Of Childhood Eczema Could Help Prevent Asthma, New Study Suggests Posted: 07 Jul 2008 10:00 AM CDT More aggressive treatment of childhood eczema may be an important step in preventing asthma, says a new Australian study.

Researchers Tug At Molecules With Optical Tweezers Posted: 07 Jul 2008 10:00 AM CDT Researchers have developed a novel technique to measure the strength of the bonds between two protein molecules important in cell machinery: gently tugging them apart with light beams.

Rabbits, Mice And Prickly Shrubs Help Establish Natural Diversity Posted: 07 Jul 2008 10:00 AM CDT Small mammals, such as rabbits and mice, play a major role in the development of natural diversity. Biologists researched how scrub becomes established in natural grassland. It seems that prickly shrubs are important in protecting plants and preventing animal species from grazing. Researchers have also demonstrated that natural disturbances such as flooding and animal diseases are very important for the diversity of natural areas.

Children Overestimate Cute Animals In Rainforests, While Underestimating Insects And Annelids Posted: 07 Jul 2008 10:00 AM CDT Researchers investigated children's perceptions of rainforest biodiversity by asking young museum visitors to draw their ideal rainforest, as part of a competition, and found that while children have a sophisticated understanding of rainforest ecosystems, they tend to overestimate the relative numbers of some taxa (mainly "cuter" mammals, birds and reptiles) while underestimating the proportions of less charismatic taxa, such as insects and annelids.

Rubber 'Snake' Could Help Wave Power Get A Bite Of The Energy Market Posted: 07 Jul 2008 07:00 AM CDT A device consisting of a giant rubber tube may hold the key to producing affordable electricity from the energy in sea waves. Named after the snake of the same name because of its long thin shape, the Anaconda is closed at both ends and filled completely with water. It is designed to be anchored just below the sea's surface, with one end facing the oncoming waves.

Potential New Drug Candidates To Combat 'Bird Flu' Identified Posted: 07 Jul 2008 07:00 AM CDT As the specter of a worldwide outbreak of avian or "bird flu" lingers, health officials recognize that new drugs are desperately needed since some strains of the virus already have developed resistance to the current roster of anti-flu remedies.

Ancient Marine Invertebrate Diversity Less Explosive Than Thought Posted: 07 Jul 2008 07:00 AM CDT Diversity among the ancestors of such marine creatures as clams, sand dollars and lobsters showed only a modest rise beginning 144 million years ago with no clear trend afterwards, according to researchers. This contradicts previous work showing dramatic increases beginning 248 million years ago and may shed light on future diversity.

Shedding Light On The Molecular Basis Of Crib Death Posted: 07 Jul 2008 07:00 AM CDT Sudden infant death syndrome is a condition that unexpectedly and unexplainably takes the lives of seemingly healthy babies aged between a month and a year. Now researchers have developed a mouse model of the so-called crib or cot death. The model, published in the journal Science, reveals that an imbalance of the neuronal signal serotonin in the brain stem is causes sudden death in mice.

World's Smallest High Performance, Low Energy Sensor Posted: 07 Jul 2008 07:00 AM CDT Scientists are developing the world's smallest, high-performance and low-power sensor in silicon which will have applications in biosensing and environmental monitoring.

Brain Noise Is Good: New Study Overturns Notion That Brain Noise Quiets Down With Maturity Posted: 07 Jul 2008 07:00 AM CDT Canadian scientists have shown that a noisy brain is a healthy brain. "Brain noise" is a term that has been used by neuroscientists to describe random brain activity that is not important to mental function. Intuitive notions of brain-behavior relationships would suggest that this brain noise quiets down as children mature into adults and become more efficient and consistent in their cognitive processing. But new research overturns this notion.

New Antibiotic Beats Superbugs At Their Own Game Posted: 07 Jul 2008 04:00 AM CDT By targeting the gene that confers resistance to antibiotics, a new drug may be able to finally outwit drug-resistant staph bacteria.

Newly Identified Enzyme Treats Deadly Bacterial Infections In Mice Posted: 07 Jul 2008 04:00 AM CDT By the time antibiotics made their clinical debut 70 years ago, bacteria had long evolved strategies to shield themselves. For billions of years, bacteria hurled toxic molecules at each other in the struggle to prosper, and those that withstood the chemical onslaught marched on. Now, with an uptick in antibiotic-resistant bacteria reaching alarming proportions, scientists have identified an enzyme produced in viruses (called bacteriophages) that could stop these one-celled powerhouses dead in their tracks.

Effects Of Healing Touch Therapy Being Studied Posted: 07 Jul 2008 04:00 AM CDT Researchers are pairing a complementary therapy known as Healing Touch with mild sedation to see if the technique truly calms patients undergoing minor procedures.

Glaucoma Surgery Studied In Medicare Patients, New Hope For People With End-stage Glaucoma Posted: 07 Jul 2008 04:00 AM CDT Ophthalmologists continue to develop treatments to help the more than three million Americans with glaucoma. The July issue of Ophthalmology includes a large, national study of outcomes of incisional surgeries, used to reduce pressure inside the eye, in Medicare patients. Also covered is research that may brighten the outlook for patients with end-stage glaucoma.

Search For Salt Tolerant Grasses Aims To Improve Roadside Plantings Posted: 07 Jul 2008 04:00 AM CDT Researcher aims to identify a salt tolerance limit for native and ornamental turf grasses in hopes of finding a variety that can be used along highways without being killed when roadway salt -- mixed with melting snow -- is splashed onto the grass.

Proposal To Merge NOAA And US Geological Survey To Form An Earth Systems Science Agency Posted: 07 Jul 2008 04:00 AM CDT In a new article in the journal Science, a group of former senior federal officials call for the establishment of an independent Earth Systems Science Agency to meet the unprecedented environmental and economic challenges facing the nation. They propose forming the new agency by merging the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the US Geological Survey.

Nature Reserves Attract Humans, But At A Cost To Biodiversity Posted: 07 Jul 2008 01:00 AM CDT Countering a perception that establishing nature reserves in developing nations drives away local communities, a new study finds that human settlements are actually drawn to protected areas in Africa and Latin America. Unfortunately, the researchers also found a link between high rates of human population growth and illegal harvesting of timber, bushmeat hunting and species extinction.

Mother's Vitamin D Status During Pregnancy Will Affect Her Baby's Dental Health Posted: 07 Jul 2008 01:00 AM CDT Low maternal vitamin D levels during pregnancy may affect primary tooth calcification, leading to enamel defects, which are a risk factor for early-childhood tooth decay.

Extended Cyclone Relief Efforts Aided From Space Posted: 07 Jul 2008 01:00 AM CDT Earth observation satellites have provided vital information to relief workers in Myanmar throughout a particularly long crisis response window following the devastating Cyclone Nargis that hit the country on May 2 and 3, 2008.

'Multi-target' Immune Therapy Improves Outcomes Of Severe Lupus Nephritis Posted: 07 Jul 2008 01:00 AM CDT A new treatment using a combination of drugs targeting different parts of the immune system improves the recovery rate for patients with severe lupus involving the kidneys, according to a new report.

New Car Navigation System Monitors Traffic To Avoid Traffic Jams Posted: 07 Jul 2008 01:00 AM CDT Researchers are developing a new in-car navigation system which informs motorists about traffic jams ahead and advises the driver of the best route for their journey before they reach the congestion. The 'Congestion Avoidance Dynamic Routing Engine' (CADRE) uses Artificial Intelligence to interpret live traffic information shared between vehicles fitted with a special GPS.

Genetic Status Of North-east India's Adi Tribe Detailed Posted: 07 Jul 2008 01:00 AM CDT North-east India has always been a hotspot for population geneticists due to its unique, strategic geographic location and the presence of linguistically, culturally and demographically diverse populations practicing varied occupations (from hunter-gathering to settled agriculture). Researcher have now examined the genetic status of sub-tribes of a remotely located tribal cluster -- the Adi, a Tibeto-Burman-speaking tribe of Arunachal Pradesh in the north-east of India. Based on 15 autosomal microsatellite markers, the authors studied the genetic affinity, differentiation and sub-structuring among six Adi subgroups, as well as their genetic affinity with other groups.

Slow Exercise (not Fast) Is Better For Menopausal Women Posted: 05 Jul 2008 11:00 PM CDT As we get older, our muscles deteriorate and we become weaker, which has serious implications. We become clumsier and begin to have more falls, often resulting in broken bones or even more severe injuries. Researchers are examining the effects of different exercise regimes in menopausal women, with the aim of developing new strategies for delaying and reducing the initial onset of age related muscle deterioration.

New Targets For RNAs That Regulate Genes Identified Posted: 05 Jul 2008 11:00 PM CDT Tiny strands of genetic material called RNA -- a chemical cousin of DNA -- are emerging as major players in gene regulation, the process inside cells that drives all biology and that scientists seek to control in order to fight disease.

Fishing By-catch Responsible for Rise In Dead Dolphins, Whales And Porpoises Washed Up On Certain UK Beaches, According to Study Posted: 05 Jul 2008 11:00 PM CDT Four weeks on from the shocking incident that led to the death of 26 dolphins near Falmouth, UK, research sheds new light on the extent of the problems facing Cornwall's marine mammals. A new study has revealed a disturbing rise in the number of whales, dolphins and porpoises found dead on Cornish beaches. The frequency of these mammals, collectively known as cetaceans, found stranded on beaches in Cornwall has increased with a sharp rise in the last eight years. After analyzing nearly 100 years of data, the researchers believe this could, in part, be due to more intensive fishing. Researchers found that, since 1990, at least 61% of incidents in Cornwall are the result of fishing activity, with animals being caught up in nets in a phenomenon known as 'bycatch'.

Couples With Fertility Problems Where The Man Is Over 35 Have Increased Difficulty In Conceiving Posted: 05 Jul 2008 11:00 PM CDT Pregnancy rates decrease and miscarriages increase when a father is over 35 years of age. Researchers say that this is the first time that such a strong paternal effect on reproductive outcomes has been shown.

Surrogacy Still Stigmatized, Though Attitudes Changing Among Younger Women Posted: 05 Jul 2008 11:00 PM CDT Although younger people are becoming more positive towards surrogate mothers, current day attitudes to surrogacy are still broadly negative. Researchers say that previous stigmatization of surrogate mothers in the media had added to the reluctance to undertake this treatment option.

Geologists Study China Earthquake For Glimpse Into Future Posted: 05 Jul 2008 11:00 PM CDT The May 12 earthquake that rocked Sichuan Province in China was the first there in recorded history and unexpected in its magnitude. Now a team of geoscientists is looking at the potential for future earthquakes due to earthquake-induced changes in stress.

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