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Cosmic 'Dark Flow' Detected Across Billions Of Light Years Posted: 24 Sep 2008 01:00 PM CDT Scientists have identified an unexpected motion in distant galaxy clusters. The cause, they suggest, is the gravitational attraction of matter that lies beyond the observable universe.

Source Of Multipotent Stem Cells With Broad Regenerative Potential identified Posted: 24 Sep 2008 01:00 PM CDT In a promising finding for the field of regenerative medicine, stem cell researchers have identified a source of adult stem cells found on the walls of blood vessels with the unlimited potential to differentiate into human tissues such as bone, cartilage and muscle.

Honeybee Venom Toxin Used To Develop New Tool For Studying Hypertension Posted: 24 Sep 2008 01:00 PM CDT Researchers have modified a honeybee venom toxin so that it can be used as a tool to study the inner workings of ion channels that control heart rate and the recycling of salt in kidneys.

Strong Association Found Between Prevalence Of Low White Blood Count And Women Of African Descent Posted: 24 Sep 2008 01:00 PM CDT Researchers found a strong association between women of African descent from the US and Caribbean, who are otherwise healthy, and the prevalence of neutropenia, or low white blood count. Neutropenia, which is associated with race and ethnicity, has essentially been unexplained and, although thought to be benign, may affect therapy for cancer or other illnesses. Among women of African descent who develop a malignancy, this association may contribute to racial disparities in treatment and outcomes.

Hidden Infections Crucial To Understanding, Controlling Disease Outbreaks Posted: 24 Sep 2008 01:00 PM CDT Scientists and news organizations typically focus on the number of dead and gravely ill during epidemics, but new research suggests that less dramatic, mild infections lurking in large numbers of people are the key to understanding cycles of at least one potentially fatal infectious disease: cholera.

Un-total Recall: Amnesics Remember Grammar, But Not Meaning Of New Sentences Posted: 24 Sep 2008 01:00 PM CDT Scientists examined which type of memory function contributes to syntactic persistence by comparing amnesics with a group of control volunteers. The amnesics in this study experience anterograde amnesia and exhibit problems forming new memories — they cannot remember facts & events that occurred following their head injury. However, their procedural memory is still intact. For example, these patients will not remember that they received a new bike, but they will improve at riding the bike.

Two Planets Suffer Violent Collision Posted: 24 Sep 2008 10:00 AM CDT Two planets in orbit around a mature sun-like star recently suffered a violent collision, astronomers report in the Astrophysical Journal. "It's as if Earth and Venus collided with each other," said Benjamin Zuckerman, UCLA professor of physics and astronomy and a co-author on the paper. "Astronomers have never seen anything like this before. Apparently, major catastrophic collisions can take place in a fully mature planetary system."

New Vaccine Element Could Generate Better Protection From Avian Influenza Posted: 24 Sep 2008 10:00 AM CDT Current vaccines for influenza provide protection against specific seasonal influenza A strains and their close relatives, but not against more distant seasonal influenza A viruses and new avian influenza A viruses, such as H5N1, which still poses a real global health concern. However, new data have been generated that suggest adding a new component to vaccines for influenza might enable them to confer protection against a broader range of avian and seasonal influenza A viruses.

New 3D Visualization Tool For Early Diagnosis Of Breast Cancer Posted: 24 Sep 2008 10:00 AM CDT Scientists from Finland, Germany and the ESRF have developed a new X-ray technique for the early detection of breast cancer. This allows a 3D visualization of the breast with a high spatial resolution and is extremely sensitive to alterations in the tissue, such as those generated by cancer. This technique could be used in the next years in hospitals. It may help doctors to detect tumours with greater precision than is possible using current X-ray mammography.

High Blood Pressure Takes Big Toll On Small Filtering Units Of The Kidney Posted: 24 Sep 2008 10:00 AM CDT Take a kidney out of the body and it still knows how to filter toxins from the blood. But all bets are off in the face of high blood pressure. "How does the kidney know how to do it and why does it break in hypertension?" says Dr. Edward W. Inscho, physiologist in the Medical College of Georgia Schools of Medicine and Graduate Studies.

Proposed Extraction Process May Have Economic, Environmental Benefits Posted: 24 Sep 2008 10:00 AM CDT A researcher from the University of Alberta has proposed an experimental electrical heating process to draw oil from largely untapped deposits, which could yield major rewards for oil production and be more environmentally sound than current extractions processes.

Republican And Democratic Values Compared Posted: 24 Sep 2008 10:00 AM CDT Hoping to answer the question of which political party has a monopoly on the "best" values and how religion affects these values, a professor compared the "extrinsic" values (financial success, status, appearance) with "intrinsic" values (growth, intimacy, helping) of self-declared Democrats and Republicans in four different samples.

Controlling Light With Sound: New Liquid Camera Lens As Simple As Water And Vibration Posted: 24 Sep 2008 07:00 AM CDT New miniature image-capturing technology powered by water, sound and surface tension could lead to smarter and lighter cameras in everything from cell phones and automobiles to autonomous robots and miniature spy planes. Researchers have now designed and tested an adaptive liquid lens that captures 250 pictures per second and requires considerably less energy to operate than competing technologies.

When Healing Turns To Scarring: Research Reveals Why It Happens And How To Stop It Posted: 24 Sep 2008 07:00 AM CDT For the first time, research from the University of Western Ontario has revealed the mechanisms involved in the origin of scarring or fibrotic diseases, as well as a way to control it. The study, led by Andrew Leask of the CIHR Group in Skeletal Development and Remodeling, is published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation. Fibrotic diseases account for 40 percent of all deaths and health care costs in North America.

Coating Copies Microscopic Biological Surfaces Posted: 24 Sep 2008 07:00 AM CDT Someday, your car might have the metallic finish of some insects or the deep black of a butterfly's wing, and the reflectors might be patterned on the nanostructure of a fly's eyes, according to researchers who have developed a method to rapidly and inexpensively copy biological surface structures.

People With Type 2 Diabetes Can Put Fatty Livers On A Diet With Moderate Exercise Posted: 24 Sep 2008 07:00 AM CDT Weekly bouts of moderate aerobic exercise on a bike or treadmill, or a brisk walk, combined with some weightlifting, may cut down levels of fat in the liver by up to 40 percent in people with type 2 diabetes, a study by physical fitness experts.

Calorie-free Natural Sweetener Moves One Step Closer To Use In U. S. Posted: 24 Sep 2008 07:00 AM CDT Researchers are reporting an advance toward the possible use of a new natural non-caloric sweetener in soft drinks and other food products in the United States. Stevia, which is 300 times more potent than sugar but calorie-free, is already used in some countries as a food and beverage additive to help fight obesity and diabetes.

Step Back To Move Forward Emotionally, Study Suggests Posted: 24 Sep 2008 07:00 AM CDT When you're upset or depressed, should you analyze your feelings to figure out what's wrong? Or should you just forget about it and move on?

Dark Chocolate: Half A Bar Per Week May Keep Heart Attack Risk At Bay Posted: 24 Sep 2008 04:00 AM CDT Good news for chocolate lovers: 6.7 grams of chocolate per day represent the ideal amount for a protective effect against inflammation and subsequent cardiovascular disease.

Family History Of Brain Tumors Linked To Increased Risk Of Brain Cancer Posted: 24 Sep 2008 04:00 AM CDT People with a family history of cancerous brain tumors appear to be at higher risk of developing the same kind of tumors compared to people with no such family history, according to a new study in Neurology.

Iberian Peninsula’s Earliest Agricultural Systems Were Unsustainable Posted: 24 Sep 2008 04:00 AM CDT Researchers in Spain have found that the first agricultural systems on the Iberian Peninsula became ever more unsustainable with the passage of time. Their study involved the analysis of fossilised grains of wheat and barley from Los Castillejos (Granada), an area of archaeological remains where cereals were cultivated between 4000 and 2500 BCE.

Exhaled Nitric Oxide Monitoring Does Not Improve On Guidelines-based Asthma Management, Study Finds Posted: 24 Sep 2008 04:00 AM CDT New research indicates that adolescent and young adult patients whose asthma is managed according to the latest NIH guidelines do not benefit from the addition of nitric-oxide monitoring. Nitric oxide is a biomarker for inflammation in the lungs.

Overcoming Barriers To The Introduction Of Alternative Fuels In Europe Posted: 24 Sep 2008 04:00 AM CDT Many groups are promoting the use of alternative fuels in the transport sector. Nevertheless, there are many obstacles that arise with any serious intention to make alternative fuels increase their market share; with cost, performance, and reliability being the key factors for the economical success of alternative fuels in road transport.

Severe Stress More Common Among Long-term Cancer Survivors Posted: 24 Sep 2008 04:00 AM CDT Long-term survivors of adult cancers are almost twice as likely to report psychological distress severe enough to cause moderate to serious problems functioning in social, work or school situations, compared to the general population, according to a large, national study.

Finding Fireflies Next To A Lighthouse: New Optics Technology To Study Alien Worlds Posted: 24 Sep 2008 01:00 AM CDT Scientists are studying new optical methods for three possible new NASA missions to search for alien worlds. The experimental technologies promise to allow astronomers to directly detect exoplanets by suppressing the light from their parent stars.

Stroke Incidence May Be Higher And Deadlier In American Indians Posted: 24 Sep 2008 01:00 AM CDT American Indians have a higher incidence of strokes than white or black Americans. Higher rates of hypertension, diabetes and cigarette smoking may account for the higher risk. The findings come from the largest population study of cardiovascular disease and risk factors in American Indians.

Second Career For Growth Factor Receptor: Keeping Nerve Axons On Target Posted: 24 Sep 2008 01:00 AM CDT Neurons constituting the optic nerve wire up to the brain in a highly dynamic way. Using the mouse visual system, scientists have identified an unanticipated factor that helps keep retinal axons from going astray.

Minimally-invasive Aortic Valve Bypass Benefits High-risk Elderly Patients Posted: 24 Sep 2008 01:00 AM CDT A study conducted at the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore concludes that an uncommonly used surgical procedure that bypasses a narrowed aortic valve, rather than replacing it, effectively restores blood flow from the heart to the rest of the body and gives high-risk patients a safe alternative to conventional valve surgery. Aortic valve bypass is an important treatment option for high-risk elderly patients with a narrowed aortic valve, a condition called aortic stenosis.

Secret Ingredients Behind Germinated Rice Posted: 24 Sep 2008 01:00 AM CDT Researchers have identified the active compounds that contribute to the health benefits of pre-germinated brown rice: a related set of sterol-like molecules known as acylated steryl-beta-glucosides.

Behavioral Intervention Works To Reduce Risky Behavior Posted: 24 Sep 2008 01:00 AM CDT In an effort to curb the rising rates of HIV and sexually transmitted infections along the Mexico-US border, a binational team of researchers have shown that brief but personalized behavioral counseling significantly reduced rates and improved condom use among female sex workers in Tijuana and Ciudad Juarez, Mexico.

Comet Dust Reveals Unexpected Mixing Of Solar System Posted: 23 Sep 2008 10:00 PM CDT Chemical clues from a comet's halo are challenging common views about the history and evolution of the solar system and showing it may be more mixed-up than previously thought.

Benefit Of Combination Therapy For Alzheimer's Disease Confirmed Posted: 23 Sep 2008 10:00 PM CDT The first long-term study of the real-world use of Alzheimer's drugs finds that treatment can significantly slow the rate at which the disorder advances, and combination therapy with two different classes of drugs is even better at helping patients maintain their ability to perform daily activities.

Looking Vs. Seeing Posted: 23 Sep 2008 10:00 PM CDT The superior colliculus has long been thought of as a rapid orienting center of the brain that allows the eyes and head to turn swiftly either toward or away from the sights and sounds in our environment. Two complementary studies have revealed that the superior colliculus performs supervisory functions in addition to the motor control it has long been known for.

Geriatric Patients Receive Significant Benefit From Cochlear Implantation Posted: 23 Sep 2008 10:00 PM CDT Despite previous inconclusive research, geriatric patients do experience significant quality of life improvement after receiving cochlear implants for hearing loss, says new research.

Disposable ‘lab-on-a-chip’ May Save Costs And Lives Posted: 23 Sep 2008 10:00 PM CDT Low-cost, disposable cartridges that would let doctors perform diagnostic tests at the point-of-care could speed up diagnosis and treatment while lowering costs. Researchers are rapidly closing in on that goal.

Preventing Suicide In Low- To Middle-income Countries Posted: 23 Sep 2008 10:00 PM CDT An international study of almost 2,000 people in Brazil, India, Sri Lanka, Iran and China has shown that a low-cost strategy to keep in contact with people who have previously attempted suicide, can reduce the risk of subsequent suicides.

Why Chemo Works For Some People And Not Others Posted: 23 Sep 2008 07:00 PM CDT MIT researchers have shown that cells from different people don't all react the same way when exposed to the same DNA-damaging agent -- a finding that could help clinicians predict how patients will respond to chemotherapy.

Healthy Blood Vessels May Prevent Fat Growth Posted: 23 Sep 2008 07:00 PM CDT Cells lining blood vessels may perform an unsuspected task -- controlling the development of fat cells. Researchers found that precursor or stem cells have a markedly reduced tendency to develop into fat cells when placed in direct contact with healthy endothelial cells, which are the cells that line blood vessels.

Facebook Profiles Can Be Used To Detect Narcissism Posted: 23 Sep 2008 07:00 PM CDT Online social networking sites such as Facebook might be useful tools for detecting whether someone is a narcissist, according to new research.

Breast Cancer Survivors Have High Quality Of Life Up To 15 Years After Lumpectomy And Radiation Posted: 23 Sep 2008 07:00 PM CDT Women with breast cancer who are treated with lumpectomy and radiation report a high level of overall quality of life several years after treatment that is comparable to a general sampling of the adult women US population according to a survey conducted by physicians at Fox Chase Cancer Center.

GPS Navigation Devices Can Be Spoofed, Counter Measures Not Effective In Certain Cases Posted: 23 Sep 2008 07:00 PM CDT Just like flat-screen televisions, cell phones and computers, global positioning system technology is becoming something people can't imagine living without. So if such a ubiquitous system were to come under attack, would we be ready?

Immigrant Children Are Increasingly More Likely To Lack Health Coverage In U.S. Posted: 23 Sep 2008 07:00 PM CDT Contrary to public perceptions, foreign-born children are increasingly uninsured, rather than publicly insured, in the wake of immigration policy changes, according to a study by public health researchers.

Primordial Fish Had Rudimentary Fingers Posted: 23 Sep 2008 04:00 PM CDT Tetrapods, the first four-legged land animals, are regarded as the first organisms that had fingers and toes. Now researchers can show that this is wrong. Using medical x-rays, they found rudiments of fingers in the fins in fossil Panderichthys, the "transitional animal," which indicates that rudimentary fingers developed considerably earlier than was previously thought.

Secondhand Smoke Linked To Peripheral Artery Disease In Women Posted: 23 Sep 2008 04:00 PM CDT This is the first study to link secondhand smoke to increased risk of peripheral artery disease in women. Researchers found an increased risk of stroke and coronary heart disease in older Chinese women who were exposed to secondhand smoke compared to those who were not exposed. Researchers said passive smoking is an important health hazard and should be discouraged by public health policy.

Indian Spice In Turmeric Reduces Size Of Hemorrhagic Stroke Posted: 23 Sep 2008 04:00 PM CDT You might want to make curcumin part of your daily diet. This active ingredient of the Indian curry spice, turmeric, not only lowers your chances of getting cancer and Alzheimer's disease, but may reduce the size of a hemorrhagic stroke, say Medical College of Georgia researchers.

Acupuncture Reduces Side Effects Of Breast Cancer Treatment As Much As Conventional Drug Therapy, Study Suggests Posted: 23 Sep 2008 04:00 PM CDT Acupuncture is as effective and longer-lasting in managing the common debilitating side effects of hot flashes, night sweats and excessive sweating (vasomotor symptoms) associated with breast cancer treatment and has no treatment side effects compared to conventional drug therapy, according to a first-of-its-kind study.

NASA's Phoenix Lander Might Peek Under a Rock Posted: 23 Sep 2008 04:00 PM CDT If the robotic arm on NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander can nudge a rock aside, scientists on the Phoenix team would like to see what's underneath. Engineers who develop commands for the robotic arm have prepared a plan to try displacing a rock on the north side of the lander. This rock, roughly the size and shape of a VHS videotape, is informally named "Headless."

Is That Song Sexy Or Just So-so? Posted: 23 Sep 2008 04:00 PM CDT Why is your mate's rendition of Marvin Gaye's "Let's Get it On" cute and sexy sometimes and so annoying at other times? A songbird study sheds new light on this question, showing that a change in hormone levels may alter the way we perceive social cues by altering a system of brain nuclei, common to all vertebrates, called the "social behavior network."

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