ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

Genetic Link Between Immune And Nerve Systems Found Posted: 22 Sep 2008 10:00 AM CDT Researchers have discovered genetic links between the nervous system and the immune system in a well-studied worm, and the findings could illuminate new approaches to human therapies.

Cancer-causing Gut Bacteria Exposed Posted: 22 Sep 2008 10:00 AM CDT Normal gut bacteria are thought to be involved in colon cancer but the exact mechanisms have remained unknown. Now, scientists have discovered that a molecule produced by a common gut bacterium activates signalling pathways that are associated with cancer cells. The research, published in the Journal of Medical Microbiology, sheds light on the way gut bacteria can cause colon cancer.

Conservation Program In Rwanda Helps Turn Gorilla Poachers Into Ecotourism Guides Posted: 22 Sep 2008 10:00 AM CDT Conservationists at the Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology (DICE), University of Kent, are celebrating a double achievement – the success of a conservation program in Rwanda that has helped turn gorilla poachers into ecotourism guides, and a major international award for the program's founder, alumnus Edwin Sabuhoro.

Audio Relaxation Program May Help Lower Blood Pressure In Elderly Posted: 22 Sep 2008 10:00 AM CDT Study highlights an audio-guided relaxation CD with background sounds of ocean waves and a calming voice may lower blood pressure in elderly people. Listening to Mozart also significantly lowered blood pressure in the study, but to a lesser degree. The technique has been used for chronic pain, but had never been tested in the hypertensive elderly.

Self-steering Vehicle Designed To Mimic Movements Of Ants Posted: 22 Sep 2008 10:00 AM CDT A team of engineers in the Canary Islands has designed the "Verdino", a self-steering vehicle that can sense the road surface using a technique called Ant Colony Optimisation. This method is based on the behaviour used by ants to find the shortest way between their ant hill and sources of food.

Why Heart Attack Victims Do Better With Social Support Posted: 22 Sep 2008 10:00 AM CDT Researchers have identified specific damages to the brain that may occur when heart attack victims are socially isolated from others. The study in mice found that those animals that lived alone before undergoing a heart attack showed five to eight times more damage to neurons in one part of the brain than did similar animals that lived with others.

Nematode Genome Provides Insight Into Evolution Of Parasitism Posted: 22 Sep 2008 07:00 AM CDT Molecular biologists have decoded the genome of the Pristionchus pacificus nematode, thereby gaining insight into the evolution of parasitism. They have shown that the genome of the nematode consists of a surprisingly large number of genes, some of which have unexpected functions.

Cancer-causing Role Of Gene Proteins Discovered Posted: 22 Sep 2008 07:00 AM CDT Scientists in Toronto, Canada have discovered the role of two "cousins" in the genetic family tree of cancer development.

Baby Eyes Are Taking In The World, Applying Self-experience To Other People Posted: 22 Sep 2008 07:00 AM CDT Twelve- and 18-month-old babies not only are observing what is going on around them but also are using their own visual self-experience to judge what other people can and cannot see.

Colorful Spy Tactics Track Live Cells Supporting Cancerous Tumors Posted: 22 Sep 2008 07:00 AM CDT A new advance in cellular imaging is allowing scientists to better understand the movement of cells in the area around tumors, also known as the tumor microenvironment. Optimized methods of laser microscopy track the movement of live cells in a mouse model of breast cancer.

Fifth Dwarf Planet Named Haumea Posted: 22 Sep 2008 07:00 AM CDT The International Astronomical Union has announced that the object previously known as 2003 EL61 is to be classified as the fifth dwarf planet in the Solar System and named Haumea. This now means that the family of dwarf planets in the Solar System is up to five.

Long-term Global Food Crisis Looms: Experts Urge Immediate Action Posted: 22 Sep 2008 07:00 AM CDT Declining agricultural productivity and continued growing demand have brought the world food situation to a crossroads. Failure to act now through a wholesale reinvestment in agriculture -- including research into improved technologies, infrastructure development, and training and education of agricultural scientists and trainers -- could lead to a long-term crisis that makes the price spikes of 2008 seem a mere blip.

Climate Change, Human Activity And Wildfires Posted: 22 Sep 2008 04:00 AM CDT Climate has been implicated by a new study as a major driver of wildfires in the last 2,000 years. But human activities, such as land clearance and fire suppression during the industrial era (since 1750) have created large swings in burning, first increasing fires until the late 1800s, and then dramatically reducing burning in the 20th century.

Older People Who Diet Without Exercising Lose Valuable Muscle Mass Posted: 22 Sep 2008 04:00 AM CDT A group of sedentary and overweight older people placed on a four-month exercise program became more fit and burned off more fat, compared to older sedentary people who dieted but did not exercise. The new study also showed that when older people diet without exercising, they lose more lean muscle compared to those who exercise. When they combined weight loss with exercise, it nearly completely prevented the loss of lean muscle mass.

Fuel-saving Designs Improve Efficiency Of Hydraulic Systems Posted: 22 Sep 2008 04:00 AM CDT Researchers have shown how to reduce fuel consumption and dramatically improve the efficiency of hydraulic pumps and motors in heavy construction equipment.

Minimally Invasive Surgery Alleviates Pain Caused By Hip Impingement Posted: 22 Sep 2008 04:00 AM CDT The pain due to injury caused by an impingement within the hip joint can be alleviated by means of two surgical techniques in a minimally invasive manner. Arthroscopy is the technique preferred for those cases where the injury is less serious while the femoroacetabular osteoplastica after a small incision is for more serious injuries, according to doctors.

Project To Turn Plant Cells Into Medical Factories Posted: 22 Sep 2008 04:00 AM CDT A large four-year project is launching in Europe to develop methods for production of valuable pharmaceutical compounds using plant cells as a production host in an effective and controlled manner. The methods based on plant biotechnology are an alternative to chemical synthesis. By controlling the cell metabolism of a 'green factory', i.e. a living plant cell, it is possible to affect the production of desired high-value compounds. This kind of metabolic engineering also stimulates the cells towards producing completely new compounds.

Monitoring Outcomes Of Suicide Attempts In Pregnancy Can Better Assess Drug Dangers Posted: 22 Sep 2008 04:00 AM CDT Monitoring the health of children born to women who attempted suicide while pregnant can shed light on which medicines and what doses are particularly dangerous to developing fetuses, according to researchers from Hungary who publish their findings in a series of reports in a special issue of Toxicology and Industrial Health.

Using Novel Tool, Researchers Dig Through Cell 'Trash' And Find Treasure Posted: 22 Sep 2008 01:00 AM CDT A person's trash can reveal valuable information, as detectives, historians and identity thieves well know. Likewise, a cell's "trash" may yield certain treasures, researchers have found. Using a new technique, scientists have analyzed the cellular waste of one of the world's most-studied plants and discovered formerly hidden relationships between genes and the small molecules that can turn them off.

Estrogen Reduces Risk Of Fracture After Menopause, Study Suggests Posted: 22 Sep 2008 01:00 AM CDT From the end of the 1970s to the late 1990s there was a significant reduction in the incidence of hip and distal forearm fractures among Oslo women in the early phase after menopause. Part of this decline can be explained by the large increase in the use of hormone replacement therapy after menopause in the same period, a new study shows.

Small Changes To Transport Systems Could Mean Big Benefits For Older People Posted: 22 Sep 2008 01:00 AM CDT A new study has pinpointed how simple, low-cost measures could revolutionize older peoples' ability to use transport systems effectively, safely and with confidence.

Vanderbilt Researchers Seek To Make Standardized Tests Accessible Posted: 22 Sep 2008 01:00 AM CDT Standardized testing is an inescapable part of modern education; however, these tests often fail to meet the needs of students with learning disabilities. Researchers have developed a decision-making instrument called the Test Accessibility and Modification Inventory to address the issue of accessibility for students with special needs.

Scientists Trace Extensive Networks Regulating Alternative RNA Splicing Posted: 22 Sep 2008 01:00 AM CDT Scientists have succeeded in tracing intricate biochemical networks involving a class of proteins that enable genes to express themselves in specific tissues at particular moments in development.

Bisexual Community Reports Need For Improvements In Mental Health Services Posted: 22 Sep 2008 01:00 AM CDT New research sheds light on the mental health of bisexual people in Ontario by looking at the context of mental health issues in this group. The Bisexuality, Mental Health and Emotional Well-Being Research Project evaluated the experiences of bisexual people based on three main determinants of health, and the results demonstrated that social biphobia and stereotypes about bisexuals have far reaching negative effects on the mental health and well-being of bisexual people.

HPV DNA Test Identifies Cervical Pre-cancerous Disease In Developing Countries With 90% Success Rate Posted: 20 Sep 2008 11:00 PM CDT Results of the first study to determine the accuracy of a new rapid screening test for HPV created specifically for use in the developing world, have shown it to be 90 percent accurate in detecting precancerous cervical disease when tested on a group of local women in Shanxi province, eastern China.

World's Largest Corporations Seek Clarity On Climate Change Regulation Posted: 20 Sep 2008 11:00 PM CDT Global corporations view climate change as a driver of risk and opportunity and have cited clear regulation as key to managing the impacts, in this year's findings from the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), which includes exclusive data from 1550 of the world's major companies on greenhouse gas emissions and climate change related strategies.

'Friendly' Bacteria Protect Against Type 1 Diabetes, Researchers Find Posted: 20 Sep 2008 11:00 PM CDT In a dramatic illustration of the potential for microbes to prevent disease, researchers at have shown that mice exposed to common stomach bacteria were protected against the development of type I diabetes.

Gene Linked To Common Ailment In Labrador Retrievers Identified Posted: 20 Sep 2008 11:00 PM CDT Researchers have identified a gene in Labrador retriever dogs highly associated with the syndrome of exercise-induced collapse.

Breast MRI Scan Could Determine Need For Radiation Therapy Posted: 20 Sep 2008 11:00 PM CDT For women whose breast cancer has spread to their lymph nodes, a magnetic resonance imaging scan could replace exploratory surgery as the method for determining whether those women need radiation therapy to treat their disease, according to a study/

Quality Assurance Programs Improve Clinical Trials Posted: 20 Sep 2008 11:00 PM CDT Quality assurance programs like the one at the Quality Assurance Review Center in Worcester, Mass., strengthen the quality of clinical trials, including cooperative groups conducting National Cancer Institute-supported clinical trials, thereby improving the standard of care in cancer patients.

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