ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

Military Use Of Robots Increases Posted: 05 Aug 2008 10:00 AM CDT Robots in the military are no longer the stuff of science fiction. They have left the movie screen and entered the battlefield. Researchers report that the military goal is to have approximately 30% of the army be robotic forces by somewhere around 2020.

Two Years Old: A Childhood Obesity Tipping Point? Research Suggests That Childhood Obesity Begins In Infancy Posted: 05 Aug 2008 10:00 AM CDT Over the last decade, childhood obesity has grown into an epidemic, reflected in soaring rates of type 2 diabetes and recommendations that pediatricians check toddlers for elevated cholesterol. What hasn't been as clear is how early to intervene. A study presented at a pediatric research program on Friday suggested obesity prevention efforts should begin as early as age two, when children reach a "tipping point" in a progression that leads to obesity later in life.

New Role Found For A 'Foxy Old Gene' Posted: 05 Aug 2008 10:00 AM CDT Researchers have discovered that a protein called FOXA2 controls genes that maintain the proper level of bile in the liver. FOXA2 may become the focus for new therapies to treat diseases that involve the regulation of bile salts.

Recurrence Of Group B Strep High In Subsequent Pregnancies, Say Obstetricians Posted: 05 Aug 2008 10:00 AM CDT A new study could help experts better decide whether to continue the current practice of retesting women during their second pregnancies for a common bacterial infection if they had tested positive for the infection previously.

Tevatron Experiments Double-team Higgs Boson Posted: 05 Aug 2008 10:00 AM CDT The CDF and DZero collaborations at the US Department of Energy's Fermilab are advancing the quest for the long-sought Higgs boson. Their latest results indicate that researchers have for the first time excluded, with 95 percent probability, a mass for the Higgs of 170 GeV. This value lies in the possible mass range for the particle established by earlier experiments. The result demonstrates that the Tevatron experiments are sensitive to potential Higgs signals.

Paradox Of Higher Education, Crime: Male College Students More Likely Than Less-educated Peers To Commit Property Crimes, Study Finds Posted: 05 Aug 2008 10:00 AM CDT Men who attend college are more likely to commit property crimes during their college years than their non-college-attending peers, according to research to be presented at the annual meeting of the American Sociological Association.

Extinction Threat To Monkeys And Other Primates Due To Habitat Loss, Hunting Posted: 05 Aug 2008 07:00 AM CDT Mankind's closest relatives -- the world's monkeys, apes and other primates -- are disappearing from the face of the Earth, with some literally being eaten into extinction. The first comprehensive review in five years of the world's 634 kinds of primates found that almost 50 percent are in danger of going extinct, according to the criteria of the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

Outdoor Activity And Nearsightedness In Children Posted: 05 Aug 2008 07:00 AM CDT A growing number of the world's children are mildly to severely nearsighted (myopic), with rates especially high among urbanized East Asians. In addition to coping with poor distance vision, children with severe myopia are more prone to visual impairment and blindness later in life.

Nano Sculptures In Gold Posted: 05 Aug 2008 07:00 AM CDT If someone is charged up, the color of their face might change, but they don't immediately pull off one of their arms, only to reattach it as a third leg. With some molecules, however, the situation is quite different - for example, in a gold cluster with seven atoms. In a charged state, the atoms arrange themselves differently than when they are uncharged.

Maternal Deaths Following Cesarean Delivery Can Be Reduced Posted: 05 Aug 2008 07:00 AM CDT Maternal death rates have remained constant in the United States for many decades. Are there any improvements in health care that could reduce these rates further? A new study examined all maternal deaths in nearly 1.5 million birth records from the last six years to look for possible keys to saving more mothers. The study demonstrated that the risk of death attributable to cesarean delivery, approximately 2/100,000 procedures, can realistically be reduced only with universal thromboembolism prophylaxis for patients delivered by cesarean.

Networks Of Metal Nanoparticles Are Culprits In Alloy Corrosion Posted: 05 Aug 2008 07:00 AM CDT Oxide scales are supposed to protect alloys from extensive corrosion, but scientists have discovered metal nanoparticle chinks in this armor.

Toxic Drugs, Toxic System: Sociologist Predicts Drug Disasters Posted: 05 Aug 2008 07:00 AM CDT Americans are likely to be exposed to unacceptable side effects of FDA-approved drugs such as Vioxx in the future because of fatal flaws in the way new drugs are tested and marketed, according to research to be presented at the annual meeting of the American Sociological Association.

Memory, Depression, Insomnia -- And Worms? Posted: 05 Aug 2008 04:00 AM CDT Researchers have spent decades probing the causes of depression, schizophrenia and insomnia in humans. But a new study may have uncovered key insights into the origins of these and other conditions by examining a most unlikely research subject: worms.

Data Mining Detects Signs Of Lou Gehrig's Disease In Gene Carriers Long Before Symptoms Appear Posted: 05 Aug 2008 04:00 AM CDT Inspired by the use of microarray chips that look for gene combinations, psychologists are using "pattern array" software to spot movements in rats that might help them predict diseases such as Lou Gehrig's syndrome.

Chronic Exposure To Estrogen Impairs Some Cognitive Functions Posted: 05 Aug 2008 04:00 AM CDT Chronic exposure to estradiol, the main estrogen in the body, diminishes some cognitive functions. Rats exposed to a steady dose of estradiol were impaired on tasks involving working memory and response inhibition, the researchers found.

Strategies To Control TB Outdated, Inadequate, Analysis Shows Posted: 05 Aug 2008 04:00 AM CDT The standard regimens to treat tuberculosis are inadequate in countries with high rates of multi-drug resistant TB. In countries with high rates of MDR-TB, patients are nearly twice as likely to fail their initial treatment than those in countries with low rates, according to a new analysis of World Health Organization data. This finding suggests strongly that current TB treatment regimens need to updated and revised to address the shifting landscape of public health in the face of MDR-TB.

Investigating Sea Ice Decline Posted: 05 Aug 2008 04:00 AM CDT A revised outlook for the Arctic 2008 summer sea ice minimum shows ice extent will be below the 2005 level but not likely to beat the 2007 record. DAMOCLES will dispatch eleven research missions into the Arctic this autumn to better understand the future of the sea ice.

Homeownership In Disadvantaged Neighborhoods Linked To Increased Political Participation Posted: 05 Aug 2008 04:00 AM CDT Homeowners in disadvantaged neighborhoods are more likely to vote than renters and those who own homes in more privileged communities, according to research to be presented at the annual meeting of the American Sociological Association.

Little Teeth Suggest Big Jump In Primate Timeline Posted: 05 Aug 2008 01:00 AM CDT Tiny fossilized teeth excavated from an Indian open-pit coal mine could be the oldest Asian remains ever found of anthropoids, the primate lineage of today's monkeys, apes and humans.

International Panel Updates Treatment Guidelines For HIV Infection Posted: 05 Aug 2008 01:00 AM CDT An evaluation of recent data has led to an update in the guidelines and recommendations for antiretroviral treatment of adult human immunodeficiency virus infection, according to an article in the Aug. 6 issue of JAMA, a theme issue on HIV/AIDS.

Nanotechnology: Size-specific Cracking Shakes Posted: 05 Aug 2008 01:00 AM CDT Certain sizes of nanostructures may be more susceptible to failure by fracture than others. As the size of a structure gets to the nanoscale, atomic vibrations (also known as phonons) begin to feel its size and shape in an effect called phonon confinement.

Immune System Protein Accurate Predictor Of Survival In Pediatric Septic Shock Posted: 05 Aug 2008 01:00 AM CDT A simple measure of an immune system protein within 24 hours of being admitted to the hospital for septic shock can predict survival in children, yielding a powerful tool for diagnostics and clinical trials of new septic shock therapies, according to a research team led by Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center in the Aug. 1 American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

New Panel Of Mice Helps Predict How Drugs Are Broken Down In Humans Posted: 05 Aug 2008 01:00 AM CDT Humans express several proteins that breakdown the synthetic chemicals and drugs (collectively known as xenobiotics) that we ingest or are administered. Expression of these proteins is itself regulated by the xenobiotic-sensing proteins PXR and CAR. Developing animal models to determine the relative importance of PXR and CAR for humans to breakdown a specific drug has been difficult because the human and animal proteins sense different xenobiotics.

Teacher-student Relationships Key To Learning Health And Sex Education Posted: 05 Aug 2008 01:00 AM CDT When it comes to learning life-changing behaviors in high school health classes, the identity of the person teaching may be even more important than the curriculum, a new study suggests. For years, many high schools around the country have been relying on outside experts to teach sensitive subjects such as the human immunodeficiency virus infection and pregnancy prevention. But a recent study found that students learn more about such issues when taught by their regular classroom teacher.

Guilt On Their Hands: Tiny 'Tags' Could Help To Solve And Deter Gun Crime Posted: 04 Aug 2008 10:00 PM CDT Criminals who use firearms may find it much harder to evade justice in future, thanks to an ingenious new bullet tagging technology.

Immunotherapy In High-risk Pediatric Sarcomas Shows Promising Response Posted: 04 Aug 2008 10:00 PM CDT Based on a pilot study in children with sarcoma, researchers believe that immunotherapy could prove beneficial in treating high-risk forms of this cancer.

Researchers Tag First-ever Free-swimming Leatherback Turtles In New England Posted: 04 Aug 2008 10:00 PM CDT University of New Hampshire researchers have tagged one male and two female leatherback turtles off Cape Cod. They are the first free-swimming leatherbacks ever tagged in New England. The 700-800-pound leatherback turtles, an endangered species, were tagged July 17, 26 and 29 with GPS-linked satellite tags that transmit nearly real-time tracking data, allowing scientists to better understand these elusive, highly migratory giants to enhance their survivability.

Sleep Apnea Is An Independent Risk Factor For Mortality, Australian Study Shows Posted: 04 Aug 2008 10:00 PM CDT Moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea is an independent risk factor for all-cause mortality, represented by a fully adjusted hazard ratio of 6.24. Previous studies linking OSA to mortality have involved patients referred to sleep clinics rather than community-based samples; the association between OSA and mortality in the community was unknown.

Telemedicine Leads To Better Stroke Treatment Decisions, Study Finds Posted: 04 Aug 2008 10:00 PM CDT Researchers at the University of California, San Diego Medical Center say that their first-of-its-kind study of a telemedicine program which transports stroke specialists via computer desktop or even laptop to the patient's bedside, using highly sophisticated video, audio and Internet technology, could have an immediate and profound impact on the treatment of stroke patients throughout the world.

Family Type Has Less-than-expected Impact On Parental Involvement, Study Finds Posted: 04 Aug 2008 10:00 PM CDT Children in step-families and in other non-traditional families get just as much quality time with their parents as those in traditional families, with only a few exceptions, according to research to be presented at the annual meeting of the American Sociological Association.

Australian Bird Research Could Rewrite 'Ring Theory' Of Speciation Posted: 04 Aug 2008 07:00 PM CDT New research has uncovered how different populations of the bird crimson rosella are related to each other -- a discovery which has important implications for research into how climate change may affect Australia's biodiversity.

When Our Protective Armor Shows Weakness: Genetic Defect In Skin Cells Leads To Neurodermatitis, Hay Fever And Asthma Posted: 04 Aug 2008 07:00 PM CDT New knowledge points to the fact that a genetically induced lack of filaggrin, a key protein of the skin barrier, plays a decisive role in the origin of allergies. In a large study on more than 3000 school-children scientists found that about 8% of the German population carry variations of the filaggrin gene, which raise the risk to develop atopic dermatitis more than threefold. In addition, these genetic variations predispose to hay fever and asthma in those with atopic dermatitis.

Combating Secondary Infections In Clinics Posted: 04 Aug 2008 07:00 PM CDT Infections following treatment are a grave problem for patients, and resistant germs can be particularly devastating. Scientists have now developed a process for coating surfaces with an antimicrobial layer to effectively hinder infections.

Endoscopic Circumferential Ablation Promising For Barrett's Esophagus With High-grade Dysplasia Posted: 04 Aug 2008 07:00 PM CDT A multi-center US registry study examining the treatment of Barrett's esophagus with high-grade dysplasia showed that in 92 patients treated with endoscopic circumferential ablation who had at least one follow-up biopsy session, 90.2 percent were free of HGD at an average of one-year follow-up. This registry is the first to report on the use of circumferential ablation for BE HGD. The study appears in the July issue of GIE: Gastrointestinal Endoscopy.

Project Aims To Improve Energy Efficiency Of Computing Posted: 04 Aug 2008 07:00 PM CDT The information technology industry consumes as much energy and has roughly the same carbon "footprint" as the airline industry. Now scientists and engineers are building an instrument to test the energy efficiency of computing systems under real-world conditions -- with the ultimate goal of getting computer designers and users in the scientific community to rethink the way they do their jobs.

One Fifth Of British Adult Survivors Of Childhood Cancer Smoke Despite Hazards Posted: 04 Aug 2008 07:00 PM CDT One-fifth of British adult survivors of childhood cancers are current smokers, and nearly a third have been regular smokers at some point in their lives, according to a study in the July 29 online issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

Tracking Down Abrupt Climate Changes: Rapid Natural Cooling Occurred 12,700 Years Ago Posted: 04 Aug 2008 04:00 PM CDT Researchers have shown, for the first time, that an extremely fast climate change occurred in Western Europe. This took place long before human-made changes in the atmosphere, and is causatively associated with a sudden change in the wind systems.

Novel Kind Of Learning Gene Discovered Posted: 04 Aug 2008 04:00 PM CDT Scientists have come one step closer to unraveling the molecular basis of learning. Neurobiologists have now discovered the first gene for operant conditioning in the fruit fly Drosophila. Their discovery suggests a novel kind of molecular learning mechanism. The study may help understanding the molecular processes underlying addiction.

Carbon Capture Milestone In China Posted: 04 Aug 2008 04:00 PM CDT Just weeks out from the Olympics, the CSIRO and its Chinese partners have officially launched a post-combustion capture pilot plant in Beijing that strips carbon dioxide from power station flue gases in an effort to stem climate change.

Antiviral Therapy Helps Children At Risk For Post-transplant Lymphoproliferative Disease Posted: 04 Aug 2008 04:00 PM CDT The antiviral drug, valganciclovir, can lower the levels of Epstein-Barr virus in children with liver transplants, according to a new study.

Arresting And Self-healing Cracks: Paving The Way For Next Generation Composite Materials Posted: 04 Aug 2008 04:00 PM CDT Materials that can stop a crack and then self-heal have been brought a step closer to reality. New research will focus on carbon fiber polymer composites - materials made by combining extremely stiff and strong fibers with polymers to create strong, durable and lightweight materials. These are particularly important in the aerospace and transport industries, which use carbon fiber composites to make aircraft wings, helicopter rotor blades and ship hulls.

Cost Of Stabbings To Britain's Health Service Revealed Posted: 04 Aug 2008 04:00 PM CDT Injuries caused by gun and knife crime are costing the British National Health Service in excess of 3 million pounds a year, new research reveals.

World's Smallest Snake Found In Barbados Posted: 04 Aug 2008 01:00 PM CDT The world's smallest species of snake has been discovered on the Caribbean island of Barbados. The species is as thin as a spaghetti noodle and small enough to rest comfortably on a U.S. quarter.

Sleep Apnea Linked To Increased Risk Of Death Posted: 04 Aug 2008 01:00 PM CDT Sleep-disordered breathing (also known as sleep apnea) is associated with an increased risk of death, according to new results from the Wisconsin Sleep Cohort, an 18-year observational study. Researchers found that adults (ages 30 to 60) with sleep-disordered breathing at the start of the study were two to three times more likely to die from any cause compared to those who did not have sleep-disordered breathing.

X-ray Diffraction Looks Inside Aerogels In 3-D Posted: 04 Aug 2008 01:00 PM CDT The first high-resolution x-ray diffraction imaging of an aerogel, performed at beamline 9.0.1 of the Department of Energy's Advanced Light Source at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, has revealed the aerogel's nanoscale three-dimensional bulk lattice structure down to features measured in nanometers, suggesting that changes in methods of preparing aerogels might improve their strength.

World's First Transplant Of Both Arms Posted: 04 Aug 2008 01:00 PM CDT The first transplant of complete arms has been accomplished after several years of preparatory work. The patient is doing well under the circumstances.

Patagonian Glacier Yields Clues For Improved Understanding Of Global Climate Change Posted: 04 Aug 2008 01:00 PM CDT A recent expedition to the San Valentin glacier in the Chilean part of Patagonia demonstrated the potential of that site for exploring climatic variations of the past. The analyses gave the first evidence of influences from Antarctica and the Pacific on the Southern climate of the American continent, thus indicating the complexity of the climate system in this ecologically fragile region.

Long Work Hours Widen The Gender Gap Posted: 04 Aug 2008 01:00 PM CDT Working overtime has a disproportionate impact on women in dual-earner households, exacerbating gender inequality and supporting the "separate sphere" phenomenon in which men are the breadwinners while women tend to the home, according to research to be presented at the annual meeting of the American Sociological Association.

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