ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

Do We Think That Machines Can Think? Posted: 09 Jul 2008 01:00 PM CDT When our PC goes on strike again we tend to curse it as if it was a human. The question is why and under what circumstances do we attribute human-like properties to machines and how are such processes manifest on a cortical level.

Young Women's Breast Cancers Have More Aggressive Genes, Worse Prognosis Posted: 09 Jul 2008 01:00 PM CDT Young women's breast cancers tend to be more aggressive and less responsive to treatment than the cancers that arise in older women, and researchers may have discovered part of the reason why: young women's breast cancers share unique genomic traits that the cancers in older women do not exhibit.

Novel Ways To Boost Vaccination Or Natural Defenses Posted: 09 Jul 2008 01:00 PM CDT Our bodies rely on the production of potent, or 'high affinity,' antibodies to fight infection. The process is very complex, yet scientists have discovered that it hinges on a single molecule, a growth factor, without which it cannot function.

Types Of Genes Necessary For Brain Development Discovered Posted: 09 Jul 2008 01:00 PM CDT Researchers have successfully completed a full-genome RNAi screen in neurons, showing what types of genes are necessary for brain development.

Some Plants Can Adapt To Widespread Climate Change Posted: 09 Jul 2008 01:00 PM CDT While many plant species move to a new location or go extinct as a result of climate change, grasslands clinging to a steep, rocky dale-side in Northern England seem to defy the odds and adapt to long-term changes in temperature and rainfall, according to a new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The 13-year experiment involved subjecting 30 small grassland plots to microclimate manipulation.

Male Cyclists Risk Sexual Problems If They Don't Choose The Right Bike Posted: 09 Jul 2008 01:00 PM CDT Cycling may seem like a healthy and environmentally friendly pastime, but men who choose the wrong bike could be heading for a range of sexual and health problems, including erection difficulties. And as the Tour de France gets into gear, there's also stark warnings for professional cyclists.

Fossil Feathers Preserve Evidence Of Color, Say Scientists Posted: 09 Jul 2008 10:00 AM CDT The traces of organic material found in fossil feathers are remnants of pigments that once gave birds their color, according to Yale scientists whose paper in Biology Letters opens up the potential to depict the original coloration of fossilized birds and their ancestors, the dinosaurs.

Cocktail Therapy For Alzheimer's Disease? Works for Gerbils Posted: 09 Jul 2008 10:00 AM CDT A dietary cocktail that includes a type of omega-3 fatty acid can improve memory and learning in gerbils, according to a new study that points to a possible beverage-based treatment for Alzheimer's and other brain diseases.

Boosting Survival Of Insulin-cell Transplants For Type 1 Diabetes Posted: 09 Jul 2008 10:00 AM CDT Researchers in Japan are reporting a discovery that could improve the effectiveness and expand the use of transplants of insulin-producing cells to treat diabetes. Insulin-dependent, or Type 1, diabetes affects about 800,000 people in the United States.

New Ovarian Stimulation Technique Offers More Cancer Patients The Chance To Preserve Their Fertility Posted: 09 Jul 2008 10:00 AM CDT Researchers have shown for the first time that it is possible to stimulate a woman's ovaries to produce eggs for collection during the final phase of the menstrual cycle. The finding offers the chance for more women who have been diagnosed with cancer to restore their fertility following chemotherapy or radiotherapy -- cancer treatments that can seriously damage the ovaries, often permanently.

New Logic: The Attraction Of Magnetic Computation Posted: 09 Jul 2008 10:00 AM CDT Researchers have demonstrated functional components that exploit the magnetic properties of electrons to perform logic operations. Compatible with existing microtechnology, the new approach heralds the next era of faster, smaller and more efficient electronics.

Sex Really Does Get Better With Age (Just Ask A 70 Year Old) Posted: 09 Jul 2008 10:00 AM CDT An increasing number of 70 year olds are having good sex and more often, and women in this age group are particularly satisfied with their sex lives, according to a new study. Knowledge about sexual behavior in older people (70 year olds) is limited and mainly focuses on sexual problems, less is known about "normal" sexual behavior in this age group.

New Coral Reefs Teeming With Marine Life Discovered In Brazil Posted: 09 Jul 2008 07:00 AM CDT New coral reef system discovered in Brazil doubles the size of Southern Atlantic Ocean's largest and most diverse reef system.

Pandemic Mutations In Bird Flu Revealed Posted: 09 Jul 2008 07:00 AM CDT Scientists have discovered how bird flu adapts in patients, offering a new way to monitor the disease and prevent a pandemic, according to research in the Journal of General Virology.

Want To Fly? Don't Copy The Birds And The Bees Posted: 09 Jul 2008 07:00 AM CDT There is little comparison between the appearance of any winged creatures and that of modern helicopters or jets, despite similar flight patterns. In an era in which engineers are increasingly exploiting designs from nature, understanding this paradox is becoming ever more important. Researchers have studied the reasons behind these differences in aerodynamics and concluded that scientists should, in this instance, be more hesitant before imitating nature.

Aggressive Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma (Mantle Cell Lymphoma) On The Rise Posted: 09 Jul 2008 07:00 AM CDT A new study indicates that the incidence of mantle cell lymphoma, an aggressive type of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, is on the rise, most frequently striking men, Caucasians and older individuals.

Tuberculosis May Have Migrated From Humans To Cattle, Not The Reverse Posted: 09 Jul 2008 07:00 AM CDT Among those trying to decipher the origins and trajectory of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the bacteria responsible for TB, are three Arizona State University researchers who are trying to establish a credible evolutionary timeline for TB. Their research suggests that the disease migrated from humans to cattle -- not the reverse, as has long been assumed.

Does Gene Variant Make Women More Prone To Alcoholism? Posted: 09 Jul 2008 07:00 AM CDT A particular gene variant might make women more susceptible to alcoholism. According to new research, a gene in the endorphin metabolism is altered in a typical fashion more often in women alcoholics than in healthy women.

Can Tomatoes Carry An Oral Vaccine Against Alzheimer's Disease? Posted: 09 Jul 2008 04:00 AM CDT The humble tomato could be a suitable carrier for an oral vaccine against Alzheimer's disease. New research, still in the early stages, is a promising first step towards finding an edible vaccine against the neurodegenerative disease.

Leading Worldwide Cause Of Cardiovascular Disease May Be Modified By Diet Posted: 09 Jul 2008 04:00 AM CDT A new article indicates that an increased intake in minerals such as potassium, and possibly magnesium and calcium by dietary means may reduce the risk of high blood pressure and decrease blood pressure in people with hypertension.

To Multiply, Ant Colonies Adapt To Environmental Conditions Posted: 09 Jul 2008 04:00 AM CDT By combining field work in Australia with mathematical modeling, scientists have shown that the quality and quantity of winged queens produced by colonies of the Rhytidoponera ant vary according to environmental conditions.

Malaria On The Increase In The UK Posted: 09 Jul 2008 04:00 AM CDT A huge rise in the numbers of UK residents travelling to malaria endemic areas, combined with a failure to use prevention measures, has significantly increased cases of imported falciparum malaria in the UK over the past 20 years, according to a study published online.

Incentives For Carbon Sequestration May Not Protect Species Posted: 09 Jul 2008 04:00 AM CDT Paying rural landowners in Oregon's Willamette Basin to protect at-risk animals won't necessarily mean that their newly conserved trees and plants will absorb more carbon from the atmosphere and vice versa, a new study has found.

Child Care Factors Associated With Weight Gain In Infancy Posted: 09 Jul 2008 04:00 AM CDT Nine-month-old infants regularly cared for by someone other than a parent appear to have higher rates of unfavorable feeding practices and to weigh more than infants cared for only by parents, according to a new article.

How Intense Will Storms Get? New Model Helps Answer Question Posted: 09 Jul 2008 01:00 AM CDT A new mathematical model indicates that dust devils, water spouts, tornadoes, hurricanes and cyclones are all born of the same mechanism and will intensify as climate change warms the Earth's surface.

Overweight, Insulin Resistant Women At Greater Risk Of Advanced Breast Cancer Diagnosis, Says Study Posted: 09 Jul 2008 01:00 AM CDT Women who have risk factors commonly associated with type 2 diabetes also have much greater odds of being diagnosed with an advanced breast cancer, according to new research.

New Targets For RNAs That Regulate Genes Identified Posted: 09 Jul 2008 01:00 AM 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.

Fertility Treatment In Developing Countries; A Cycle Of IVF For Less Than $200 Posted: 09 Jul 2008 01:00 AM CDT After 30 years of IVF, the rewards of treatment are still largely confined to industrialized countries and those who can afford it. Now, a Special Task Force of European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology has set about the immeasurable task of making fertility treatment more accessible to developing countries through a program of pilot projects, professional awareness and involvement of government and non-governmental agencies.

New Insight To Demineralization: Amorphous Silica Dissolves By Pathway Similar To Crystals Posted: 09 Jul 2008 01:00 AM CDT Researchers explain the dissolution behavior of silica glasses manufactured by different processes, a natural biologically produced silica and a synthetic, dispersed or colloidal silica. Their findings present the basis for understanding how simple modulations in solution chemistry can tune the durability of silica in humid or wet environments. Moreover, the insights suggest a means by which one could use simple, environmentally benign solutions to regulate surface roughness at the nanoscale.

Pregnancy Alone Is Not Associated With Increased Risk For Mental Disorders Posted: 09 Jul 2008 01:00 AM CDT Pregnancy alone does not appear to be associated with an increased risk of the most prevalent mental disorders, according to a new article. However, post-partum women may have a higher risk of major depressive disorder.

Can You Hear Me Now? Primitive Single-Celled Microbe Expert In Cellular Communication Networks Posted: 08 Jul 2008 10:00 PM CDT When it comes to cellular communication networks, a primitive single-celled microbe that answers to the name of Monosiga brevicollis has a leg up on animals composed of billions of cells. It commands a signaling network more elaborate and diverse than found in any multicellular organism higher up on the evolutionary tree, researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies have discovered.

Japanese Encephalitis Virus Causes 'Double Trouble' To Brain Posted: 08 Jul 2008 10:00 PM CDT Recent research published in Journal of Neurochemistry, has shown that Japanese encephalitis virus, commonly known as brain fever, damages the brain in two ways -- not only killing brain cells but also preventing the birth of new cells from neural stem/progenitor cells and depleting the NPC pool in the brain.

Study Shows Rise In Cornwall's Dolphin, Whale, And Porpoise Deaths Posted: 08 Jul 2008 10:00 PM CDT 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.

Creating A New Approach To Archiving Human Genetic Information Posted: 08 Jul 2008 10:00 PM CDT How a genomic code is deciphered is traditionally left to professional annotators who use information from a number of sources (for instance, knowledge about similar genes in other organisms) to work out where a gene starts, stops and what it does. Even the "gold standard" of professional annotation is an exceptionally slow process. However, new technology may provide a faster solution.

Adolescents Are Not Receiving Recommended Immunization In US, Report Shows Posted: 08 Jul 2008 10:00 PM CDT Vaccinating infants and toddlers is an almost universal practice in the United States. Vaccines to prevent flu are a regular part of medical care for senior citizens and at-risk patients. But, according to a study published in American Journal of Preventive Medicine, the US health care system is not very effective in getting vaccines to the adolescent population.

Baseball Diamonds: The Lefthander's Best Friend Posted: 08 Jul 2008 07:00 PM CDT Baseball diamonds are a left-hander's best friend. That's because the game was designed to make a lefty the "Natural," according to a professor of engineering and uber baseball fan. The professor is a mechanical engineer who specializes in aircraft and helicopter engineering and has a different approach to viewing America's Favorite Pastime.

Some Antidepressants Associated With Gastrointestinal Bleeding Posted: 08 Jul 2008 07:00 PM CDT A class of antidepressants known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors appear to be associated with bleeding in the upper gastrointestinal tract, according to a report in the July issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. The effects appear increased when antidepressants are combined with other stomach-harming medications and decreased when acid-suppressing agents are used.

Ice Creamier: 'Edible Antifreeze' Puts The Smooth In Smoothie Posted: 08 Jul 2008 07:00 PM CDT It's Friday night, and the movie's already spinning in the DVD player. You run to the kitchen to grab a gallon of ice cream and a spoon, but you find the tub nearly empty. What's left is an icy mess that crunches unappetizingly when you poke your spoon into it. Time to make popcorn.

Normal-looking Sperm May Have Serious Damage; Scientists Urge More Care In Selection Posted: 08 Jul 2008 07:00 PM CDT Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) where a single sperm is injected into an egg to fertilize it, is increasingly used to help infertile men father children. Although the sperm chosen for the procedure may appear quite normal, researchers in the US have found that many of them in fact have DNA damage, which can decrease the chances of pregnancy and increase chances of later miscarriage if pregnancy does occur. In infertile men, between 20 and 66% of normal-looking sperm had DNA damage.

Why Mosquitoes Select Certain Outdoor Water Containers For Laying Eggs And Avoid Others Posted: 08 Jul 2008 07:00 PM CDT Female mosquitoes are choosy when it comes to finding the proper egg-laying habitats. Scientists have now figured out one reason why pregnant yellow fever mosquitoes (Aedes aegypti), one of the most important disease transmitters worldwide, choose to lay their eggs in certain outdoor water containers while eschewing others.

Keeping A Food Diary Doubles Diet Weight Loss, Study Suggests Posted: 08 Jul 2008 07:00 PM CDT Study of nearly 1,700 participants shows that keeping a food diary can double a person's weight loss. The study found that the best predictors of weight loss were how frequently food diaries were kept and how many support sessions the participants attended. Those who kept daily food records lost twice as much weight as those who kept no records.

Whales And Dolphins Influence New Wind Turbine Design Posted: 08 Jul 2008 04:00 PM CDT By studying the flippers, fins and tails of whales and dolphins, scientists have discovered some features of their structure that contradict long-held engineering theories. These discoveries may have a strong impact on traditional industrial designs including wind turbines and helicopters.

Antibody To Breast Cancer-secreted Protein Blocks Metastasis, Researchers Show Posted: 08 Jul 2008 04:00 PM CDT Scientists have made a key discovery about the mechanism of breast cancer metastasis, the process by which cancer spreads. Focusing on a gene dubbed "Dachshund," or DACH1, they are beginning to pinpoint new therapeutic targets to halt the spread of cancer. When the scientists used an antibody to block a common inflammatory protein, IL-8, in mice, they found that it completely halted the spread of breast cancer to the lungs.

Two-ton, 500 Million-year-old Fossil Of Stromatolite Discovered In Virginia, U.S. Posted: 08 Jul 2008 04:00 PM CDT Scientists have confirmed that an approximately 500 million-year-old stromatolite was recently discovered at the Boxley Blue Ridge Quarry near Roanoke, Virginia. This is the first-ever intact stromatolite head found in Virginia, and is one of the largest complete "heads" in the world, at over 5 feet in diameter and weighing over 2 tons. Stromatolites are among the earliest known life forms, and are important in helping scientists understand more about environments that existed in the past.

Pregnancy Associated With Increased Risk Of Heart Attack Posted: 08 Jul 2008 04:00 PM CDT Although acute myocardial infarction is rare in women of child-bearing age, pregnancy can increase a woman's risk of heart attack 3- to 4-fold, according to a new study. Since women today may delay having children until later in life, and advances in reproductive medicine enable older women to conceive, the occurrence of AMI associated with pregnancy is expected to increase.

Process Used By Microbes To Make Greenhouse Gases Uncovered Posted: 08 Jul 2008 04:00 PM CDT Researchers here now have a picture of a key molecule that lets microbes produce carbon dioxide and methane -- the two greenhouse gases associated with global warming. The findings relate to organisms called methanogens and are explained in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Sex During Adolescence Doesn’t Predict Future HPV Infection Posted: 08 Jul 2008 04:00 PM CDT Predicting a child's future is a near impossible task -- today's straight-A student may not become tomorrow's doctor, and the school-yard bully may actually grow up to become a member of the Peace Corps. So why should an adolescent's sexual behavior-- or lack thereof -- determine whether or not she gets vaccinated against the human papillomavirus, to protect against future HPV infection?

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