ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

Newly Discovered Monkey Is Threatened With Extinction Posted: 02 Aug 2008 07:00 PM CDT Just three years after it was discovered, a new species of monkey is threatened with extinction according to the Wildlife Conservation Society, which recently published the first-ever census of the endangered primate. Africa's 'kipunji' hovers at 1,100 individuals.

How Some Bacteria May Steal Iron From Their Human Hosts Posted: 02 Aug 2008 07:00 PM CDT While humans obtain iron primarily through the food they eat, bacteria have evolved complex and diverse mechanisms to allow them access to iron. Scientists have discovered that some bacteria are equipped with a gene that enables them to harvest iron from their environment or human host in a unique and energy efficient manner.This discovery could provide researchers with new ways to target such diseases as tuberculosis.

Traumatic Response To Bad Memories Can Be Minimized Posted: 02 Aug 2008 07:00 PM CDT Researchers have identified the brain mechanism that switches off traumatic feelings associated with bad memories, a finding that could lead to the development of drugs to treat panic disorders.

Simple Lab Test For Bone Disease Linked To Risk Of Death In Dialysis Patients Posted: 02 Aug 2008 07:00 PM CDT Among patients receiving dialysis for chronic kidney disease, high levels of alkaline phosphatase -- a routinely measured laboratory marker of bone disease -- may signal an increased risk of death, reports a new study.

Functional Nanoribbons Carved Using Super-heated, Nano-sized Particles Of Iron Posted: 02 Aug 2008 07:00 PM CDT Physicists at the University of Pennsylvania have demonstrated a new method by which graphene films can be etched along flawless, crystallographic axes using hot nanoparticles, a technique that results in precise, macroscopic length ribbons of graphene. The advance could enable atomically precise and simple construction of integrated circuits from single graphene sheets with a wide range of technological applications.

Biological Fathers Not Necessarily The Best, Social Dads Parent Well Too Posted: 02 Aug 2008 07:00 PM CDT Men who marry a child's mother parent just as well, if not better than biological fathers. A new study examined differences in the parenting practices of four groups of fathers according to whether they were biologically related to a child and whether they were married to the child's mother.

In Lean Times, Flies Can't Survive Without Their Sense Of Smell Posted: 02 Aug 2008 01:00 PM CDT Working with fruit flies reared under laboratory conditions, researchers show that in times of plenty, the sense of smell is irrelevant for survival. But when food is scarce, a well functioning nose can mean the difference between life and death.

New Immune Disease Identified Posted: 02 Aug 2008 01:00 PM CDT Medical researchers have identified a strange disease in which the innate immune system works in an irregular fashion. A new study describes 9 cases of children severely infected by common bacteria, specifically pneumococci and staphylococci, who do not react to the infection with an inflammatory response; that is, they have no fever and there is no detected increase in the number of white blood cells in the blood. By the time they see a doctor, the infection is widespread. In fact, 3 of the children, aged between 1 and 11 months, died.

Olfactory Fine-tuning Helps Fruit Flies Find Their Mates Posted: 02 Aug 2008 01:00 PM CDT Fruit flies fine-tune their olfactory systems by recalibrating the sensitivity of different odor channels in response to changing concentrations of environmental cues, a new study has shown. Disable this calibration system, and flies have trouble finding a mate, the researchers have found. The fly nervous system can dampen its response to intense smells to prevent strong signals from overloading the circuits, they report in the July 31 issue of Neuron.

New Method Assesses Risks For Heart Failure Patients Posted: 02 Aug 2008 01:00 PM CDT Data from 260 hospitals across the United States has led to the creation of a new method for physicians to more accurately determine the severity of heart failure in patients upon hospital admission, with a goal of reducing in-hospital mortality and more quickly identifying triage methods and treatment decisions.

Relays Pass Baton To Next-gen Broadband Networks Posted: 02 Aug 2008 01:00 PM CDT The ideal of affordable wireless broadband for all, and as an added bonus better quality services in urban areas, is a lot closer thanks to recent advances made by European researchers.

Communication Gap Exists Between Seniors And Surgeons, Study Finds Posted: 02 Aug 2008 01:00 PM CDT In a study published in the July 2008 issue of the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, Richard M. Frankel, Ph.D., of the Indiana University School of Medicine, and colleagues report that older patients and their surgeons do not communicate effectively when exploring surgical treatment options.

NASA Spacecraft Confirms Martian Water, Mission Extended Posted: 02 Aug 2008 07:00 AM CDT Laboratory tests aboard NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander have identified water in a soil sample. The lander's robotic arm delivered the sample Wednesday to an instrument that identifies vapors produced by the heating of samples.

Liver Damage In Hepatitis C Patients Could Be Treated With Warfarin, Says New Study Posted: 02 Aug 2008 07:00 AM CDT The drug warfarin may help prevent liver failure in thousands of people with Hepatitis C, according to new research.

Telescope Embedded In Glasses Lens Promises To Make Driving Easier For Visually Impaired Posted: 02 Aug 2008 07:00 AM CDT Glasses embedded with a telescope promise to make it easier for people with impaired vision to drive and do other activities requiring sharper distance vision. Scientists have found advantages of these innovative glasses over earlier devices.

Two Different Breast Cancer Screening Strategies Are Equally Effective, Study Fiinds Posted: 02 Aug 2008 07:00 AM CDT An organized population-based breast cancer screening program in Norway and an approach to screening that relies on physician- and self-referrals in Vermont are equally sensitive for detecting cancer, researchers report in the July 29 online issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. But the recall rate for abnormal mammograms was lower in Norway.

Like Eavesdropping At A Party: How A Tiny Protein Senses All The Communications In A Cell Posted: 02 Aug 2008 07:00 AM CDT Cells rely on calcium as a universal means of communication. For example, a sudden rush of calcium can trigger nerve cells to convey thoughts in the brain or cause a heart cell to beat. A longstanding mystery has been how cells and molecules manage to appropriately sense and respond to the variety of calcium fluctuations within cells.

Drug Has Potential To Prevent Alcoholics From Relapsing Posted: 02 Aug 2008 07:00 AM CDT An experimental drug that blocks the euphoric feelings associated with drinking may prevent alcoholics from relapsing. The finding, the result of a mouse study at Oregon Health & Science University, could lead to human clinical trials within the next year.

Ivory Poaching At Critical Levels: Elephants On Path To Extinction By 2020? Posted: 01 Aug 2008 07:00 PM CDT African elephants are being slaughtered for their ivory at a pace unseen since an international ban on the ivory trade took effect in 1989, but a conservation biologist believes there is little outcry because the public seems to be unaware of the giant mammals' plight.

Gene May Put Women With Migraine At Increased Risk Of Heart Disease And Stroke Posted: 01 Aug 2008 07:00 PM CDT Women who experience migraine with aura appear to be at an increased risk of heart disease and stroke if they have a certain gene, according to a study published in Neurology.

Aging Impairs The 'Replay' Of Memories During Sleep Posted: 01 Aug 2008 07:00 PM CDT Aging impairs the consolidation of memories during sleep, a process important in converting new memories into long-term ones, according to new animal research in the July 30 issue of the Journal of Neuroscience. The findings shed light on normal memory mechanisms and how they are disrupted by aging.

Mitochondrial DNA Copy Number Associated With Risk Of Kidney Cancer Posted: 01 Aug 2008 07:00 PM CDT Genetic factors were shown to influence the number of copies of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) in healthy cells. A lower mtDNA copy number was associated with an increased risk of renal cell cancer in a case-control study.

Climate Change Science Program Issues Report On Climate Models Posted: 01 Aug 2008 07:00 PM CDT A new report evaluates computer models of the Earth's climate and their ability to simulate current climate change.

Male Fish Deceive Rivals About Their Top Mate Choice Posted: 01 Aug 2008 07:00 PM CDT When competitors are around, male Atlantic mollies try to hide their top mate choice, reveals a new study. They feign disinterest in females after onlookers enter the scene. What's more, after encountering a rival, the tricky males direct their first sexual advances toward females that really aren't their first pick.

Cold And Ice, Not Heat, Episodically Gripped Tropical Regions 300 Million Years Ago Posted: 01 Aug 2008 04:00 PM CDT Geoscientists have long presumed that, like today, the tropics remained warm throughout Earth's last major glaciation 300 million years ago. New evidence, however, indicates that cold temperatures in fact episodically gripped these equatorial latitudes at that time.

Autopsies Reveal Changes To DNA In Major Depression And Suicide Posted: 01 Aug 2008 04:00 PM CDT Autopsies usually point to a cause of death but now a study of brain tissue collected during these procedures, may explain an underlying cause of major depression and suicide. Scientists found proteins that modify DNA directly are more highly expressed in the brains of people who commit suicide.

Virus Behind Mysterious Parrot Disease Identified Posted: 01 Aug 2008 04:00 PM CDT Researchers have identified a virus behind the mysterious infectious disease that has been killing parrots and exotic birds for more than 30 years.

MicroRNA Implicated As Molecular Factor In Alcohol Tolerance Posted: 01 Aug 2008 04:00 PM CDT A new study in the journal Neuron indicates that microRNA may influence the development of alcohol tolerance, a hallmark of alcohol abuse and dependence.

Researchers Identify An Important Gene For A Healthy, Nutritious Plant Posted: 01 Aug 2008 04:00 PM CDT Biologists have found a gene required for both efficient photosynthesis and for iron metabolism, processes necessary for producing a healthy plant and a nutritious food source. This research is part of a larger effort to learn how plants take up essential nutrients from the environment as they grow.

Heat-related Deaths In High School Football Players Dip, But All Are Preventable Posted: 01 Aug 2008 04:00 PM CDT You could say two is a small number. But that's still two too many for one professor of exercise and sports science who has researched the topic of heat-related deaths in high school football players.

Brain Tweak Lets Sleep-deprived Flies Stay Sharp Posted: 01 Aug 2008 01:00 PM CDT Staying awake slows down our brains, scientists have long recognized. Mental performance is at its peak after sleep but inevitably trends downward throughout the day, and sleep deprivation only worsens these effects. For the first time, researchers have found a way to stop this downward slide in fruit flies.

Study Bolsters Link To Maternal Alzheimer's Disease Posted: 01 Aug 2008 01:00 PM CDT A maternal history of Alzheimer's disease appears to predispose individuals to the mind-robbing disease because their brains aren't using glucose efficiently, according to new findings.

Evolution Of Skull And Mandible Shape In Cats Posted: 01 Aug 2008 01:00 PM CDT In a new study published in the online-open access journal PLoS ONE, Per Christiansen at the Zoological Museum in Copenhagen, Denmark, reports the finding that the evolution of skull and mandible shape in sabercats and modern cats were governed by different selective forces, and the two groups evolved very different adaptations to killing.

Simian Foamy Virus Found In Several People Living And Working With Monkeys In Asia Posted: 01 Aug 2008 01:00 PM CDT Scientists have found that several people in South and Southeast Asian countries working and living around monkeys have been infected with simian foamy virus, a primate virus that, to date, has not been shown to cause human disease. The findings provide more evidence that Asia, where interaction between people and monkeys is common and widespread, could be an important setting for future primate-to-human viral transmission.

Facing Apparent Resistance To Antibiotics, Researchers Develop New Techniques To Kill Dormant Bacteria Posted: 01 Aug 2008 01:00 PM CDT Researchers have found new ways to kill dormant bacteria that have become seemingly resistant to antibiotics.

Alcohol Binges Early In Pregnancy Increase Risk Of Infant Oral Clefts Posted: 01 Aug 2008 01:00 PM CDT Pregnant women who binge drink early in their pregnancy increase the likelihood that their babies will be born with oral clefts.

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