ScienceDaily: Latest Science News |
| New Yeast Trick For Eating Favorite Food Posted: 31 Jul 2008 04:00 PM CDT Bioengineers have identified a previously unknown mechanism that allows yeast to shut down the metabolism of another sugar, galactose, when they sense glucose in the environment.  |
| Mechanism For Postpartum Depression Found In Mice Posted: 31 Jul 2008 04:00 PM CDT Researchers have pinpointed a mechanism in the brains of mice that could explain why some human mothers become depressed following childbirth. The discovery could lead to improved treatment for postpartum depression. After giving birth, female mice bred to be deficient in a suspect protein showed depression-like behaviors and neglected their newborn pups. Giving a drug that restored the protein's function improved maternal behavior and reduced pup mortality.  |
| Isthmus Of Panama Formed As Result Of Plate Tectonics, Study Finds Posted: 31 Jul 2008 04:00 PM CDT Contrary to previous evidence, a new University of Florida study shows the Isthmus of Panama was most likely formed by a Central American Peninsula colliding slowly with the South American continent through tectonic plate movement over millions of years.  |
| Cholesterol-lowering Drug Boosts Bone Repair Posted: 31 Jul 2008 04:00 PM CDT Lovastatin, a drug used to lower cholesterol and help prevent cardiovascular disease, has been shown to improve bone healing in an animal model of neurofibromatosis type 1. The research, reported today in the open access journal BMC Medicine, will be of great interest to NF1 patients and their physicians.  |
| Posted: 31 Jul 2008 04:00 PM CDT Researchers have developed a method that mimics nature's way of producing dazzling colors at the nanoscale level. Their work demonstrates how such a method can be used to produce new materials, and how different nanoparticles of various sizes can produce "nanojewels" that display different optical properties. The discovery opens potential for applications in photonics, drug delivery, special coatings, sensors and microfluidics.  |
| Psychological Downside To Strike Action Posted: 31 Jul 2008 04:00 PM CDT While industrial action is largely perceived as a legitimate means of encouraging organizational change in Australia, research has shown industrial action can adversely affect those involved.  |
| First Indication For Embalming In Roman Greece Posted: 31 Jul 2008 01:00 PM CDT Researchers have found indications of embalming in Roman Greek times. By means of physico-chemical and histological methods, it was possible to show that various resins, oils and spices were used during embalming of a ca. 55 year old female in Northern Greece. This is the first ever multidisciplinary-based indication for artificial mummification in Greece at 300 AD.  |
| Fat Around The Heart May Increase Risk Of Heart Attacks Posted: 31 Jul 2008 01:00 PM CDT When it comes to risk for a heart attack, having excess fat around the heart may be worse than having a high body mass index or a thick waist, according to researchers from Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center and colleagues reporting in the August issue of the journal Obesity.  |
| Scientists Determine Strength Of 'Liquid Smoke' Posted: 31 Jul 2008 01:00 PM CDT Researchers have created a 3-D image of a material referred to as "liquid smoke." Aerogel, also known as liquid smoke or "San Francisco fog," is an open-cell polymer with pores smaller than 50 nanometers in diameter. For the first time, Lawrence Livermore and Lawrence Berkeley scientists have peered into this material and created three-dimensional images to determine its strength and potential new applications.  |
| Drinking In Excess Associated With Increased Risk For Metabolic Syndrome Posted: 31 Jul 2008 01:00 PM CDT Those who drink in excess of the US Dietary Guidelines (i.e., men who usually drink more than two drinks per day or women who usually drink more than one drink per day) or those who binge drink are at increased risk for the metabolic syndrome, according to a new study accepted for publication in the Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.  |
| Summer Heat Too Hot For You? What Is Comfortable? Posted: 31 Jul 2008 01:00 PM CDT Extreme heat or cold is not only uncomfortable, it can be deadly-causing proteins to unravel and malfunction. For many years now, scientists have understood the molecular mechanisms that enable animals to sense dangerous temperatures; such as extremely high temperatures that directly trigger heat sensor proteins known as TRP channels. However, much more poorly understood is how animals sense very small temperature differences in the comfortable range, and choose their favorite temperature. Johns Hopkins researchers now have discovered that the fruit fly uses TRPA1 to sense single degree changes in the comfortable range.  |
| The Power Of Peter Piper: How Alliteration Enhances Poetry, Prose, And Memory Posted: 31 Jul 2008 01:00 PM CDT From nursery rhymes to Shakespearian sonnets, alliterations have always been an important aspect of poetry whether as an interesting aesthetic touch or just as something fun to read. But a new study suggests that this literary technique is useful not only for poetry but also for memory.  |
| Life In A Bubble: Mathematicians Explain How Insects Breathe Underwater Posted: 31 Jul 2008 10:00 AM CDT Hundreds of insect species spend much of their time underwater, where food may be more plentiful. MIT mathematicians have now figured out exactly how those insects breathe underwater.  |
| Mucous Breakthrough In Mice Holds Promise For Cystic Fibrosis Posted: 31 Jul 2008 10:00 AM CDT A Canadian scientist studying cystic fibrosis has successfully corrected the defect which causes the overproduction of intestinal mucous in mice. The discovery has clear implications to understanding and treating this facet of the disease in humans. CF is a fatal, genetic disease characterized by an overproduction of mucous in the lungs and digestive system.  |
| Digestive Specialists Freeze Out Esophagus Cancer With New Therapy Posted: 31 Jul 2008 10:00 AM CDT Gastroenterologists are using a new method to freeze damaged cells in the esophagus, preventing them from turning cancerous.  |
| How Antidepressants And Cocaine Interact With Brain Cell Targets Posted: 31 Jul 2008 10:00 AM CDT Scientists have now described the specifics of how brain cells process antidepressant drugs, cocaine and amphetamines. These novel findings could prove useful in the development of more targeted medication therapies for a host of psychiatric diseases, most notably in the area of addiction.  |
| Astronomers Describe The Bar Scene At The Beginning Of The Universe Posted: 31 Jul 2008 10:00 AM CDT Bars abound in spiral galaxies today, but this was not always the case. Astronomers have found that bars tripled in number over the past seven billion years, indicating that spiral galaxies evolve in shape.  |
| Obesity Predisposition Traced To The Brain's Reward System Posted: 31 Jul 2008 10:00 AM CDT New research links overeating and obesity with the brain system implicated in pleasure and addictive behaviors strengthening the argument that obesity could be approached as an addictive disorder. This is the first study to demonstrate that obesity predisposition is associated with impairments in all mid-brain dopamine systems that are in place early in postnatal life.  |
| New Technique Reveals Van Gogh Portrait Of A Women Behind Another Painting Posted: 31 Jul 2008 07:00 AM CDT A new technique allows pictures which were later painted over to be revealed once more. A new technique allows pictures which were later painted over to be revealed once more. Researchers have successfully applied this technique for the first time to the painting entitled Patch of Grass by Vincent van Gogh. Behind this painting is a portrait of a woman.  |
| Alzheimer's Disease Patients Show Improvement In Trial Of New Drug Posted: 31 Jul 2008 07:00 AM CDT A new drug has been shown to improve the brain function of people with early stage Alzheimer's disease and reduce a key protein associated with the disease in the spinal fluid, in a small study published in the journal Lancet Neurology.  |
| Solar Eclipse On The Morning Of August 1st Posted: 31 Jul 2008 07:00 AM CDT On 1st August 2008 there will be a total eclipse of the Sun, visible from Canada, northern Greenland, Svalbard, the Barents Sea, Russia, Mongolia and China. From the whole of the British Isles observers will see a partial solar eclipse, with between 1/10th and 1/3rd of the Sun obscured by the Moon.  |
| How Molecules Out Of Balance Lead To Human Multiple Myeloma And Other Cancers Posted: 31 Jul 2008 07:00 AM CDT An international team of scientists has identified processes that are heavily implicated in human multiple myeloma and other B cell cancers, moving us closer to developing quick tests and readouts that could help in the tailored treatment of patients.  |
| Nanoparticles + Light = Dead Tumor Cells Posted: 31 Jul 2008 07:00 AM CDT Medical physicists at the University of Virginia have created a novel way to kill tumor cells using nanoparticles and light. The technique, devised by Wensha Yang, an instructor in radiation oncology at the University of Virginia, and colleagues Ke Sheng, Paul W. Read, James M. Larner, and Brian P. Helmke, employs quantum dots. Quantum dots are semiconductor nanostructures, 25 billionths of a meter in diameter, which can confine electrons in three dimensions and emit light when exposed to ultraviolet radiation.  |
| Bee's Future As Queen Or Worker May Rest With Parasitic Fly Posted: 31 Jul 2008 07:00 AM CDT Strange things are happening in the lowland tropical forests of Panama and Costa Rica. A tiny parasitic fly is affecting the social behavior of a nocturnal bee, helping to determine which individuals become queens and which become workers.  |
| Vaccine To Protect Against Black Plague Bioterror Attack Being Developed Posted: 31 Jul 2008 04:00 AM CDT New research may have found a defense against the black plague, a disease that wiped out a third of Europe's population in the Middle Ages and which government agencies perceive as a terrorist threat today.  |
| Frankincense Provides Relief To Arthritis Sufferers Posted: 31 Jul 2008 04:00 AM CDT An enriched extract of the 'Indian frankincense' herb Boswellia serrata has been proven to reduce the symptoms of osteoarthritis. Research published today in BioMed Central's open access journal Arthritis Research & Therapy has shown that patients taking the herbal remedy showed significant improvement in as little as seven days.  |
| Endangered European Wild Cat May Protected By Proposed Network Of Corridors Posted: 31 Jul 2008 04:00 AM CDT Researchers have developed a model which identifies potential habitats and corridors for the European wildcat (Felis silvestris silvestris). Using Rheinland-Pfalz as an example, it was demonstrated that almost half of this German federal state could be suitable for wildcats, enabling a maximum population of 1600 females. The model can also be adapted for other regions and could therefore prove to be of significant value in protecting this highly endangered species.  |
| Proton Channels Inhibit Release Of Histamine During Allergic Reactions, Novel Study Finds Posted: 31 Jul 2008 04:00 AM CDT Inhibiting the proton currents in basophils, a rare type of white blood cell, can stop the release of histamine and could provide a new target for allergy and asthma drugs according to a new study by researchers at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago and the Johns Hopkins Asthma and Allergy Center in Baltimore.  |
| Say Goodbye To Virtual Bureaucracy Posted: 31 Jul 2008 04:00 AM CDT When consumers make purchases on the Internet, they must systematically fill in forms asking for their name and address. Now researchers are developing a system that would memorize all that information and make it mobile so it could be accessed at any computer.  |
| Right Place + Right Time Can Trigger Drinking Posted: 31 Jul 2008 04:00 AM CDT Strong cravings for alcohol can be sparked by the mere sight, smell and taste of a person's favorite drink. Responses to such cues that are associated with the positive effects of drinking are a lead cause of relapse in abstinent alcoholics. Using a behavioral animal model, researchers of a new study have found that the physical surroundings where alcohol cues are experienced can greatly influence the ability of those cues to trigger relapse.  |
| What Do Squid Hear? Scientists Learn How Sensitive The Translucent Animals Are To Noise Posted: 31 Jul 2008 01:00 AM CDT The ocean is a noisy place. Although we don't hear much when we stick our heads underwater, the right instruments can reveal a symphony of sound. The noisemakers range from the low-frequency bass tones of a fish mating ritual to the roar of a motorboat. The study of how underwater animals hear is a growing topic in marine science, especially with regards to naval sonar and whales.  |
| Findings On Bladder-brain Link May Point To Better Treatments For Problems In Sleep, Attention Posted: 31 Jul 2008 01:00 AM CDT Bladder problems may leave a mark on the brain, by changing patterns of brain activity, possibly contributing to disrupted sleep and problems with attention. For one in six Americans who have overactive bladder, the involuntary bladder contractions that often trigger more frequent urges to urinate, such mind-body connections may be of more than academic interest.  |
| Ecological Status Of Spain's Mar Menor Lagoon Will Deteriorate As Waters Warm, Researchers Predict Posted: 31 Jul 2008 01:00 AM CDT Researchers from the University of Murcia have demonstrated the vulnerability of the Mar Menor coastal lagoon to climate change. As a result of an up to 5°C increase in water temperatures over the next few years, this pioneering study shows an increase in the regression rate of benthic primary producers, a deterioration in ecological status and the appearance of eutrophication processes in many coastal lagoons. Notable effects include the proliferation of jellyfish.  |
| Long-lasting Effects Of The Seveso Disaster On Thyroid Function In Babies Posted: 31 Jul 2008 01:00 AM CDT Three decades after an accident at a chemical factory in Seveso, Italy in 1976, which resulted in exposure of a residential population to the most dangerous type of dioxin, newborn babies born to mothers living in the contaminated area at the time of the accident are over six times more likely to have altered thyroid function than those born to mothers in a non-contaminated area.  |
| Fish With Temperature-dependent Sex Determination: How Common Are They? Posted: 31 Jul 2008 01:00 AM CDT In vertebrates with separate sexes, sex determination can be genotypic or temperature-dependent (TSD). TSD is very common in reptiles, where the ambient temperature during sensitive periods of early development irreversibly determines whether an individual will be male or female. But just how common is this phenomenon in fish?  |
| Minorities Less Likely To Know About Breast Cancer Treatment Options Posted: 31 Jul 2008 01:00 AM CDT Nearly half of women treated for breast cancer did not know that their odds of being alive after five years are roughly the same whether they undergo mastectomy or breast conserving surgery. Minority women were even less likely to be aware of this important factor of their treatment decision, according to a study from the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center.  |
| European Birds Flock To Warming Britain, While Some Northern Species Not Faring As Well Posted: 30 Jul 2008 10:00 PM CDT Rare southern species of birds are on the increase in the British Isles as a result of climatic change, researchers report.  |
| Cell's 'Quality Control' Mechanism Discovered Posted: 30 Jul 2008 10:00 PM CDT Researchers have discovered a key component of the quality control mechanism that operates inside human cells -- sometimes too well. The breakthrough has significant implications for the development of new treatments for cystic fibrosis and some other hereditary diseases, the researchers say.  |
| New Materials For Microwave Cookware That Heats Faster With Less Energy Posted: 30 Jul 2008 10:00 PM CDT You may soon be enjoying microwave popcorn and other 'nuked' foods and beverages faster than ever before, while saving on electricity. Researchers in Pennsylvania and Japan report development of new ceramic materials that heat up faster and retain heat longer than conventional microwave cookware while using less energy.  |
| Testosterone Predominance Increases Prevalence Of Metabolic Syndrome During Menopause Posted: 30 Jul 2008 10:00 PM CDT As testosterone progressively dominates the hormonal milieu during the menopausal transition, the prevalence of metabolic syndrome increases according to a new study by researchers at Rush University Medical Center. The study suggests this may be a pathway by which cardiovascular disease increases during menopause.  |
| Putting A Virtual Doctor In The Ambulance Posted: 30 Jul 2008 10:00 PM CDT A new ambulance communications system will enable doctors to diagnose and begin treating critically ill patients before they reach hospital.  |
| Mapping Out Future Of Intelligent Robots Posted: 30 Jul 2008 10:00 PM CDT The field of robotics could be poised for a breakthrough, leading to a new generation of intelligent machines capable of taking on multiple tasks and moving out of the factory into the home and general workplace. The great success of robots so far has been in automating repetitive tasks in process control and assembly, yielding dramatic cuts in production, but the next step towards cognition and more human-like behaviour has proved elusive. It has been difficult to make robots that can truly learn and adapt to unexpected situations in the way humans can, while it has been equally challenging trying to develop a machine capable of moving smoothly like any animal. There is still no robot capable of walking properly without jerky slightly unbalanced movements.  |
| New Class Of Glassy Material Discovered Posted: 30 Jul 2008 07:00 PM CDT Scientists are dealing with an entirely new type of frustration, but it's not stressing them out. Dynamic frustration has been found to be the cause of glassy behavior in materials that previously had none of the features of a normal glass.  |
| Healthy Children Of Alzheimer Patients Show Early Brain Changes Posted: 30 Jul 2008 07:00 PM CDT Children of Alzheimer's patients who are carriers of a genetic risk factor for Alzheimer's disease have neurological changes that are detectable long before clinical symptoms may appear.  |
| Lightweight Urban Transit Bus Has Double The Fuel Efficiency Of Conventional Hybrid Buses Posted: 30 Jul 2008 07:00 PM CDT Insight from ORNL, commitment from two Michigan companies and funding from DOE have led to the commercialization of a lightweight urban transit bus with double the fuel efficiency of conventional hybrid buses. This new green technology 40-foot bus features a high-strength stainless steel body and chassis and a hybrid power system that drives the bus primarily with stored electrical energy.  |
| Posted: 30 Jul 2008 07:00 PM CDT More than 80 new proteins, thought to play a role in reproductive success, have been discovered in the seminal fluid of fruit flies.  |
| Intelligent Vehicles Systems To Be Tested Across Europe Posted: 30 Jul 2008 07:00 PM CDT Road safety, energy efficiency, and traffic congestion are the main challenges currently faced by the European transport system. The use of new in-vehicle technologies has the potential to contribute to safer, cleaner and more efficient transport solutions throughout Europe.  |
| Posted: 30 Jul 2008 07:00 PM CDT The race to ensure that scientists stop drug-taking athletes from damaging sport by using performance enhancing drugs or undergoing genetic manipulation is a constant challenge, according to a major four-decade review by three of the World's leading experts on doping in sport.  |
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