ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

Physicists Tweak Quantum Force, Reducing Barrier To Tiny Devices Posted: 15 Jul 2008 01:00 PM CDT Cymbals don't clash of their own accord -- in our world, anyway. But the quantum world is bizarrely different. Two metal plates, placed almost infinitesimally close together, spontaneously attract each other.

More Kidney Stone Disease Projected Due To Global Warming Posted: 15 Jul 2008 01:00 PM CDT Global warming is likely to increase the proportion of the population affected by kidney stones by expanding the higher-risk region known as the "kidney-stone belt" into neighboring states, researchers have found.

Toothpick: New Molecular Tag IDs Bone And Tooth Minerals Posted: 15 Jul 2008 01:00 PM CDT Enlisting an army of plant viruses to their cause, NIST materials researchers have identified a small biomolecule that binds specifically to one of the key crystal structures of the body, the calcium compound that is the basic building block of teeth and bone. With refinements, the researchers say, the new molecule can be a highly discriminating probe for a wide range of diagnostic and therapeutic applications related to bones and teeth.

Exercise May Prevent Brain Shrinkage In Early Alzheimer's Disease Posted: 15 Jul 2008 01:00 PM CDT Mild Alzheimer's disease patients with higher physical fitness had larger brains compared to mild Alzheimer's patients with lower physical fitness, according to a study published in the journal Neurology.

Nano-sized Electronic Circuit Promises Bright View Of Early Universe Posted: 15 Jul 2008 01:00 PM CDT A newly developed nano-sized electronic device is an important step toward helping astronomers see invisible light dating from the creation of the universe. This invisible light makes up 98 percent of the light emitted since the "big bang," and may provide insights into the earliest stages of star and galaxy formation almost 14 billion years ago.

Long Commutes, Cell Phones While Driving Can Cause Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Posted: 15 Jul 2008 01:00 PM CDT Is your long, daily commute causing you pain? According to experts, hours in the car can create more than stress--it can actually cause carpal tunnel syndrome. "Repeated, prolonged gripping of anything--whether it's a steering wheel or a tool--can contribute to carpal tunnel syndrome," says Jennifer Valle, occupational therapist and certified hand therapist, Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas. "There are activities you can do and modifications you can make to help alleviate the risk of developing carpal tunnel."

The 700-year-old Mexican Mummy With A Tummy Ache Posted: 15 Jul 2008 10:00 AM CDT Remnants of the bacterium that causes stomach ulcers, Helicobacter pylori, have been discovered in gastric tissue from North American mummies. A study of human remains believed to predate Columbus' discovery of the New World has shown for the first time that H. pylori infection occurred in native populations.

New 'Scrubber' Speeds Removal Of Powerful Anthrax Clean-up Agent Posted: 15 Jul 2008 10:00 AM CDT Researchers are reporting the discovery of a fast, efficient method for removing a powerful pesticide used to sterilize buildings and equipment following anthrax attacks. Their chemical "scrubber" removes 99 percent of the pesticide following fumigation and could pave the way for its broader use in anthrax clean-up efforts, the scientists say.

Researchers Map Cells' Inner Landscapes Posted: 15 Jul 2008 10:00 AM CDT Much of the field of stem cell biology and development remains uncharted territory. Just as famous explorers and astronomers mapped out landmasses and constellations, researchers are working fervently to chart the molecular landscapes within stem cells -- especially embryonic stem cells.

Researchers Hone Technique To KO Pediatric Brain Tumors Posted: 15 Jul 2008 10:00 AM CDT Scientists are a step closer to delivering cancer-killing drugs to pediatric brain tumors, similar to the tumor that Senator Ted Kennedy is suffering from. They developed polymeric nanoparticles that can entrap doxorubicin, a drug commonly used in chemotherapy, and slowly release the drug over an extended time. Such tumors are often difficult to completely remove surgically; frequently, cancerous cells remain following surgery and the tumor returns. Chemotherapy, while effective at treating tumors, often harms healthy cells as well, leading to severe side effects especially in young children that are still developing their brain functions.

Seismic Waves From Mine Collapses Can Now Be Distinguished From Other Seismic Activities Posted: 15 Jul 2008 10:00 AM CDT Researchers have devised a technology that can distinguish mine collapses from other seismic activity. Using the large seismic disturbance associated with the Crandall Canyon mine collapse last August, scientists applied a method developed to detect underground nuclear weapons tests to quickly examine the seismic recordings of the event and determine whether that source was most likely from a collapse.

Visual Impairment May Be Associated With Higher Suicide Risk Posted: 15 Jul 2008 10:00 AM CDT Visual impairment may be associated with an increased risk of suicide through its indirect negative effect on health, according to a new article. Eye conditions that lead to visual impairment often have psychosocial and health consequences including impaired activities of daily living, social isolation, mental impairment, increased dependency on others, increased motor vehicle crashes, falls and fractures, depression and poor self-rated health, according to background information in the article.

Language Without Numbers: Amazonian Tribe Has No Word To Express 'One,' Other Numbers Posted: 15 Jul 2008 07:00 AM CDT An Amazonian language with only 300 speakers has no word to express the concept of "one" or any other specific number, according to a new study from an MIT-led team.

Excavated Jericho Bones May Help Israeli-Palestinian-German Team Combat Tuberculosis Posted: 15 Jul 2008 07:00 AM CDT Six-thousand year old bones excavated in Jericho may help a joint Israeli-Palestinian-German research group combat tuberculosis. The bones, which were all excavated between 50 and 70 years ago, will be tested for tuberculosis, leprosy, leishmania and malaria. However, the primary focus will be tuberculosis.

Perfect Teeth: Polished To Perfection Posted: 15 Jul 2008 07:00 AM CDT Dentists use special polish to make teeth shiny white again. A new measuring technique determines the effect of dental care products and helps to optimize them so they polish the rough tooth surfaces until they are perfectly smooth, but preserve the tooth enamel.

Apert's Syndrome: Why Kids Of Older Dads Are More Likely To Have Some Genetic Disorders Posted: 15 Jul 2008 07:00 AM CDT In a cruel irony, testis cells carrying the mutation that causes Apert's syndrome are fitter than normal cells, even though children born from sperm derived from those cells are weakened by fused fingers, toes and skulls, a new study has found. The research can explain why the syndrome is unexpectedly common, and why sperm from older men carry the mutation more frequently than expected.

Closing Coal-fired Power Plants Improves Cognitive Development Of Children, New Study Suggests Posted: 15 Jul 2008 07:00 AM CDT Closing coal-fired power plants can have a direct, positive impact on children's cognitive development and health according to a new study. The study allowed researchers to compare the development of two groups of children born in Tongliang, China -- one in utero while a coal-fired power plant was operating in the city and one in utero after the Chinese government had closed the plant.

89 Percent Of Children's Food Products Provide Poor Nutritional Quality, Study Finds Posted: 15 Jul 2008 07:00 AM CDT Most kids' foods provide poor nutritional quality, but packaging claims and healthy images could be misleading parents, according to a new study. Researchers used US guidelines to review 367 products. 70 percent of the products had higher than recommended sugar levels, 23 percent had high fat levels and 17 percent had high salt levels. But 62 percent of them still make health claims on the packaging.

Passive Learning Imprints On The Brain Just Like Active Learning Posted: 15 Jul 2008 04:00 AM CDT It's conventional wisdom that practice makes perfect. But if practicing only consists of watching, rather than doing, does that advance proficiency? Yes, according to a new study.

Anatomy Of Membrane Protein Mapped: May Lead Faster Drug Development Posted: 15 Jul 2008 04:00 AM CDT Scientists have mapped the anatomy of a membrane protein. This exciting discovery has the potential to turn the way we discover new drugs on its head and reduce the development time for new treatments.

New Coral Bleaching Prediction System Calls For Low Level Of Bleaching In Caribbean This Year Posted: 15 Jul 2008 04:00 AM CDT A new coral bleaching prediction system indicates that there will be some bleaching in the Caribbean later this year, but the event will probably not be severe. The system also suggests that there is a risk of widespread bleaching in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands in August, but little bleaching elsewhere during the northern hemisphere summer.

Vitamin D: Builds Bones And Much More Posted: 15 Jul 2008 04:00 AM CDT Vitamin D is essential to strong bones. Inadequate vitamin D can lead to osteoporosis, a brittle bone disease. Recently, researchers have found that vitamin D may help reduce the risk of other diseases.

Forget The Stethoscope, New Technology Sounds Out Wide Range Of Heart Problems Automatically Posted: 15 Jul 2008 04:00 AM CDT Sounding the chest with a cold stethoscope is probably one of the most commonly used diagnostics in the medical room after peering down the back of the throat while the patient says, "Aaaah". But a new article aims to add an information-age approach to diagnosing heart problems. The technique could circumvent the problem of the failing stethoscope skills of medical graduates and reduce errors of judgment.

Sociological Research Shows Combined Impact Of Genetics, Social Factors On Delinquency Posted: 15 Jul 2008 04:00 AM CDT In one of the first studies to link molecular genetic variants to adolescent delinquency, sociological research identifies three genetic predictors -- of serious and violent delinquency -- that gain predictive precision when considered together with social influences, such as family, friends and school processes.

Undersea Volcanic Rocks Offer Vast Repository For Greenhouse Gas, Says Study Posted: 15 Jul 2008 01:00 AM CDT A group of scientists has used deep ocean-floor drilling and experiments to show that volcanic rocks off the West Coast and elsewhere might be used to securely imprison huge amounts of globe-warming carbon dioxide captured from power plants or other sources. In particular, they say that natural chemical reactions under 78,000 square kilometers (30,000 square miles) of ocean floor off California, Oregon, Washington and British Columbia could lock in as much as 150 years of US carbon dioxide production.

Diabetes Increases Risk Of Tuberculosis, Studies Show Posted: 15 Jul 2008 01:00 AM CDT Searching for research over the past four decades containing data on the relationship between diabetes and TB, researchers identified 13 studies involving more than 1.7 million participants, including 17,698 cases of TB. Combining the data from cohort studies in particular, the researchers calculated that diabetes increases the risk of active TB by about a factor of three.

Scientists Test Method For Sanitizing Leafy Produce Posted: 15 Jul 2008 01:00 AM CDT Scientists are studying new sanitizing methods to enhance the safety of leafy greens --- technology that may result in safer salads. That's good news for health-conscious consumers. Today, sales of fresh cut lettuce and leafy greens have reached $3 billion annually, according to industry experts, and the demand is increasing.

Mitochondrial Cholesterol Makes Response To Chemotherapy Difficult In Hepatic Cancer Posted: 15 Jul 2008 01:00 AM CDT Researchers have demonstrated that the increase of cholesterol concentration in the mitochondrial membrane makes the action of chemotherapy difficult in cellular hepatocarcinoma. According to these results, drugs such as statins could sensitize cancer cells against chemotherapy since they diminish the level of mitochondrial cholesterol.

Scientists Discover Key Patterns In The Packaging Of Genes Posted: 15 Jul 2008 01:00 AM CDT Although every cell of our bodies contains the same genetic instructions, specific genes typically act only in specific cells at particular times. Other genes are "silenced" in a variety of ways. One mode of gene silencing depends upon the way DNA, the genetic material, is packed in the nucleus of cells.

Record Land Grab Predicted As Demand Soars For New Sources Of Food, Energy And Wood Fiber Posted: 15 Jul 2008 01:00 AM CDT Escalating global demand for fuel, food and wood fiber will destroy the world's forests, if efforts to address climate change and poverty fail to empower the billion-plus forest-dependent poor, according to two reports just released by the US-based Rights and Resources Initiative, an international coalition comprising the world's foremost organizations on forest governance and conservation.

Potential To Prevent Loss Of Insulin In Type 2 Diabetes Posted: 14 Jul 2008 10:00 PM CDT There are two completely different diseases known as diabetes. Type 1 is an autoimmune condition that often starts in childhood or adolescence. Type 2 is a metabolic disorder sometimes associated with lifestyle. In both cases, the insulin-secreting beta cells in the pancreas die, albeit at different rates. Until now, it was thought that the processes leading to beta cell death were similar in both diseases. Scientists have now shown that the causes of cell death are quite different.

Pathogen Genes Targeted In Studies To Protect Salad Veggies Posted: 14 Jul 2008 10:00 PM CDT No one knows exactly how microbes like Listeria monocytogenes or Salmonella enterica can attach themselves to the bumpy leaves of a cabbage or the ultra-fine root hairs of a tender young alfalfa sprout.

Risk Of Gall Bladder Disease With Hormone Replacement Therapy Patches Lower Than With HRT Pills Posted: 14 Jul 2008 10:00 PM CDT Use of hormone replacement therapy increases the risk of gallbladder disease but the effects are less with HRT given in skin patches or gels compared with HRT given orally, according to a new study.

Water: The Forgotten Crisis Posted: 14 Jul 2008 10:00 PM CDT This year, the world has been hit by both food and energy crises. However, few commentators specifically mention the declining availability of water needed to grow crops. Unless we change the way we use water and increase water productivity, we will not have enough water to feed a growing population, experts warn. Current global water usage for food production is 7,500 cubic kilometers per year. By 2030 over 2000 more cubic kilometers of fresh water will be needed to feed the world.

Program Discourages HIV Transmission In Russia Posted: 14 Jul 2008 10:00 PM CDT Sexual behavior counseling during drug addiction treatment should be considered an important component among Russian substance-dependent individuals, in order to decrease risky sexual behavior in the HIV at-risk population, according to recent research.

Seasonal Programmed Brain Cell Death Foiled In Living Birds Posted: 14 Jul 2008 07:00 PM CDT Neurons in brains of one songbird species equipped with a built-in suicide program that kicks in at the end of the breeding season have been kept alive for seven days in live birds by researchers trying to understand the role that steroid hormones play in the growth and maintenance of the neural song system.

Exhausted B Cells Hamper Immune Response To HIV Posted: 14 Jul 2008 07:00 PM CDT Recent studies have shown that HIV causes a vigorous and prolonged immune response that eventually leads to the exhaustion of key immune system cells -- CD4+ and CD8+ T-cells -- that target HIV. These tired cells become less able to fight the virus. Now, researchers have shown that a similar type of exhaustion strikes another important brigade of immune system soldiers: the B cells that make virus-fighting proteins called antibodies.

Apples And Pears Contain Pathways To 'Breathe' Posted: 14 Jul 2008 07:00 PM CDT Pears and apples contain air pathways to "breathe." The pathways are microscopic structures for oxygen supply and are key in determining the fruit's health. Researchers have visualized these pathways for the first time, therefore proving their hypothesized existence. The results allow a better understanding of how fruit degrades after harvest and provide a scientific explanation of the everyday experience that pears are more susceptible to decay during storage.

Immunology: April Showers Bring Mucosal Antibody Secreting Cells Long Life Posted: 14 Jul 2008 07:00 PM CDT Antibodies are proteins that are a crucial component of the immune system. They are produced in large amounts by immune cells known as plasma cells, which live in just a few parts of the body, including the bone marrow and special areas of the various parts of the body that are exposed to the outside (e.g., the gut, nose, and airways). These areas are known as mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) and include tissues such as the tonsils, but what regulates plasma cell survival in MALT has not been determined.

Ion Channels Caught In Their Opening Act Posted: 14 Jul 2008 07:00 PM CDT Each thought or action sends a million electrical signals pulsing through your body. At the heart of the process of generating these electrical impulses is the ion channel. A new study sheds light on a longstanding debate over how they open and close.

'Tommy John' Surgery For Elbow Reconstruction Effective, But Number Of Baseball Players Requiring It Alarming Posted: 14 Jul 2008 07:00 PM CDT According to a new study, 83 percent of athletes who had "Tommy John" elbow reconstruction surgery were able to return to the same or better level of play. While reassuring to athletes, the study authors find the trend of more and more young athletes requiring the surgery, alarming.

New Generation Of Home Robots Have Gentle Touch Posted: 14 Jul 2008 04:00 PM CDT Who doesn't long for household help at times? Service robots will soon be able to relieve us of heavy, dirty, monotonous or irksome tasks. Research scientists have now presented a new generation of household robots, the "Care-O-bot 3."

Researchers Locate And Image Prostate Cancer As It Spreads To Lymph Nodes Posted: 14 Jul 2008 04:00 PM CDT Using an engineered common cold virus, UCLA researchers delivered a genetic payload to prostate cancer cells that allowed them, using positron emission tomography, to locate the diseased cells as they spread to the lymph nodes, the first place prostate cancer goes before invading other organs.

New Helmet May Significantly Reduce Forces To Neck During Head-first Impact Posted: 14 Jul 2008 04:00 PM CDT Researchers have invented a sports helmet that reduces direct impact to the neck by up to 56 per cent, according to preliminary tests. The patent-pending technology features a movable inner shell that guides the head to tilt slightly forward or backward in a head-on impact, thus allowing dissipation of direct loads to the cervical spine.

Metabolic Disease: Understanding How The Brain Can Influence The Effects Of Insulin Posted: 14 Jul 2008 04:00 PM CDT One of the characteristics of type 2 diabetes is insulin resistance, which refers to the inability of cells in the body to respond appropriately to the hormone insulin. Among the cells in the body that normally respond to insulin are nerves in a region of the brain known as the hypothalamus. Now, new research provides insight into a molecular pathway in the hypothalamus that contributes to the development of insulin resistance.

Projected California Warming Promises Cycle Of More Heat Waves, Energy Use For Next Century Posted: 14 Jul 2008 04:00 PM CDT As the 21st century progresses, major cities in heavily air-conditioned California can expect more frequent extreme-heat events because of climate change. This could mean increased electricity demand for the densely populated state, raising the risk of power shortages during heat waves, according to an earth scientist and a climate researcher.

Positive Thinking Is Prescription For The Heart Posted: 14 Jul 2008 04:00 PM CDT Optimism is good for heart health, at least among men, a new study shows. Researchers found that men who believed they were at lower-than-average risk for cardiovascular disease actually experienced a three times lower incidence of death from heart attacks and strokes.

You are subscribed to email updates from ScienceDaily: Latest Science News To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email Delivery powered by FeedBurner
Inbox too full? Subscribe to the feed version of ScienceDaily: Latest Science News in a feed reader.
If you prefer to unsubscribe via postal mail, write to: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News, c/o FeedBurner, 20 W Kinzie, 9th Floor, Chicago IL USA 60610