ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

Is It A Planet? Exotic Object Orbiting Star Stirs Exoplanet Classification Rethink Posted: 07 Oct 2008 01:00 PM CDT The European spacecraft COROT has discovered a massive planet-sized object orbiting its parent star closely, unlike anything ever spotted before. It is so exotic, that scientists are unsure as to whether this oddity is actually a planet or a failed star.

Air Pollution May Increase Risk Of Appendicitis Posted: 07 Oct 2008 01:00 PM CDT Could there be a link between high levels of air pollution and the risk of appendicitis? New research suggests a novel connection.

Impact Of Geology On The U.S. Civil War: War From The Ground Up Posted: 07 Oct 2008 01:00 PM CDT The connection between geology and the history of the Civil War has fascinated some researchers. Now they take history, military history in particular, a step deeper -- into the geology beneath the soldiers' feet.

Metabolic Syndrome Ups Colorectal Cancer Risk Posted: 07 Oct 2008 01:00 PM CDT In a large US population-based study, metabolic syndrome patients had a 75 percent higher risk of colorectal cancer compared to those without metabolic syndrome.

Gene That May Contribute To Improved Rice Yield Identified Posted: 07 Oct 2008 01:00 PM CDT Biologists have identified a gene in rice that controls the size and weight of rice grains. The gene may prove to be useful for breeding high-yield rice and, thus, may benefit the vast number of people who rely on this staple food for survival.

Girls Have Harder Time Than Boys Adjusting In Language-learning Environment, Study Finds Posted: 07 Oct 2008 01:00 PM CDT Girls who don't share a common language may have more difficulty adjusting socially than boys, according to surprising new research looking at language acquisition among young children.

Spotless Sun: Blankest Year Of The Space Age Posted: 07 Oct 2008 10:00 AM CDT Astronomers who count sunspots have announced that 2008 is now the "blankest year" of the Space Age. An image taken on Sept. 27, 2008 by the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) shows a solar disk completely unmarked by sunspots. For comparison, a SOHO image taken seven years earlier on Sept. 27, 2001, is peppered with colossal sunspots, all crackling with solar flares.

Oral Vitamin D May Help Prevent Some Skin Infections Posted: 07 Oct 2008 10:00 AM CDT A study led by researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine suggests that use of oral vitamin D supplements bolsters production of a protective chemical normally found in the skin, and may help prevent skin infections that are a common result of atopic dermatitis, the most common form of eczema.

Receptor Could Halt Blinding Diseases, Stop Tumor Growth, Preserve Neurons After Trauma Posted: 07 Oct 2008 10:00 AM CDT Researchers have discovered what promises to be the on-off switch behind several major diseases. They report how the GPR91 receptor contributes to activate unchecked vascular growth that causes vision loss in common blinding diseases. These findings could also have wide-ranging and positive implications for brain tissue regeneration.

Using A Fan During Sleep Associated With Lower Risk Of SIDS Posted: 07 Oct 2008 10:00 AM CDT Fan use appears to be associated with a lower risk of sudden infant death syndrome in rooms with inadequate ventilation, according to a new report.

Zooming Way In, Technique Offers Close-ups Of Electrons, Nuclei Posted: 07 Oct 2008 10:00 AM CDT Providing a glimpse into the infinitesimal, physicists have found a novel way of spying on some of the universe's tiniest building blocks. Their "camera" consists of a special "flaw" in diamonds that can be manipulated into sensitively monitoring magnetic signals from individual electrons and atomic nuclei placed nearby.

Seeing Race And Seeming Racist? Whites Go Out Of Their Way To Avoid Talking About Race Posted: 07 Oct 2008 10:00 AM CDT White people -- including children as young as 10 -- may avoid talking about race so as not to appear prejudiced, according to new research. But that approach often backfires as blacks tend to view this "colorblind" approach as evidence of prejudice, especially when race is clearly relevant.

Nerve Cell Actions Made Optically Visible In Mice Posted: 07 Oct 2008 07:00 AM CDT Thought processes made visible: Researchers have succeeded in optically detecting individual action potentials in the brains of living animals. The scientists introduced fluorescent indicator proteins into the brain cells of mice via viral gene vectors: the illumination of the fluorescent proteins indicates both when and which neurons are communicating with each other.

The Green Sahara, A Desert In Bloom Posted: 07 Oct 2008 07:00 AM CDT New North African climate reconstructions reveal three 'green Sahara' episodes during which the present-day Sahara Desert was almost completely covered with extensive grasslands, lakes and ponds over the course of the last 120.000 years. Reconstructing the climate of the past is an important tool for scientists to better understand and predict future climate changes that are the result of the present-day global warming.

Metastatic Movements In 3-D Posted: 07 Oct 2008 07:00 AM CDT Scientists have discovered how the altered behavior of integrins can prompt metastatic movement in tumor cells.

Scientists Take Off For Southeastern Pacific Climate Study Posted: 07 Oct 2008 07:00 AM CDT During October and November 2008, some 150 scientists from 40 institutions in eight nations will take part in an international field experiment designed to make observations of critical components of the climate system of the southeastern Pacific.

Individuals With Social Phobia See Themselves Differently Posted: 07 Oct 2008 07:00 AM CDT Magnetic resonance brain imaging reveals that patients with generalized social phobia respond differently than others to negative comments about themselves, according to a new report.

Key To Rapid Evolution In Plants: Reproduce Early And Often Posted: 07 Oct 2008 04:00 AM CDT Researchers have harnessed the power of 21st century computing to confirm an idea first proposed in 1916 -- that plants with rapid reproductive cycles evolve faster.

New Test Could Help Catch Serious Infections In Babies Posted: 07 Oct 2008 04:00 AM CDT A new blood test may help detect serious bacterial infections (such as meningitis and bloodstream infections) in infants with fevers that have no clear cause -- and may spare many infants from unnecessary spinal taps and antibiotics, which are typical in routine evaluations.

Sequencing Thousand And One Genomes Posted: 07 Oct 2008 04:00 AM CDT Researchers report the simultaneous completion of the first genomes of wild Arabidopsis thaliana strains as part of the 1001 Genomes Project.

New Catheter-less Technique May Ease The Pain And Discomfort Of Prostate Cancer Recovery Posted: 07 Oct 2008 04:00 AM CDT To ease the pain of recovery following prostate cancer surgery, physician-scientists have developed an innovative and patient-friendly approach that eliminates the use of a penile urinary catheter. The new patentable technique, used in conjunction with robotic prostatectomy -- the surgical removal of the prostate -- eliminates the pain and discomfort associated with the standard catheter.

Smart Electricity Meter Developed Posted: 07 Oct 2008 04:00 AM CDT Engineers have just developed one of the world's most advanced Smart Electricity Meters. The smart meter monitors energy consumption, giving information not just through a traditional power reading, but in a user-friendly way by displaying animated graphics of money on a large clear screen on the meter.

Excluding Inmates From Health Research Thwarts Advancement Of Public Health, Expert Argues Posted: 07 Oct 2008 04:00 AM CDT More and more persons with mental illnesses, addiction disorders, and chronic and infectious diseases receive their medical care in a jail or prison. As of mid-2007, approximately 13 million inmates had been admitted to US jails during the previous 12 months.

Landmark Discovery Of 'Engine' That Drives Cell Movement Posted: 07 Oct 2008 01:00 AM CDT How a cell assembles its internal machinery required for cell movement has been revealed for the first time. The discovery is fundamental to the understanding of how a cell responds to its external environment.

Battling Cancer, One Cell At A Time Posted: 07 Oct 2008 01:00 AM CDT New research suggests that the identification and examination of key cell signaling events required for initiation and progression of cancer might be best accomplished at the single cell level. The research provides new insight that may lead to better diagnosis and treatment of some complex cancers.

New Self-training Gene Prediction Program For Fungi Developed Posted: 07 Oct 2008 01:00 AM CDT Researchers have developed a computer program that trains itself to predict genes in the DNA sequences of fungi. The software will be freely available for academic researchers.

Core Needle Breast Biopsy Safe For Patients Taking Blood Thinners Posted: 07 Oct 2008 01:00 AM CDT It is safe to take anticoagulants (blood thinners) before core needle breast biopsies, according to a study performed at the Elizabeth Wende Breast Clinic in Rochester, N.Y. Core needle biopsies are offered as an alternative to surgical biopsy when a tissue sample of an irregular area in the breast is found by mammogram or sonogram. "They are safer than surgical procedures, require fewer anesthetics, and are accurate," according to Patricia Somerville, M.D., lead author of the study.

Nitrogen Fertilizers Used Off-Season Help Crops Planted Later Posted: 07 Oct 2008 01:00 AM CDT Recent study results have shown have shown that using nitrogen fertilizer on off-season cover crops can not only increase the biomass of these crops, but can also have a beneficial effect on the nitrogen levels in the soil for the cash crop planted during the summer season. The results could significantly aid in preventing soil erosion in vulnerable agricultural regions.

What Happens When We Ask Autistic Persons What Is Wrong With Them? Posted: 07 Oct 2008 01:00 AM CDT To date, few studies have focused on the viewpoints of autistic persons themselves despite an increasing number of published autobiographies. The results of this study suggest that what has been selected as major signs by psychiatric nosography is regarded as manifestations induced by perceptive peculiarities and strong emotional reactions by the autistic persons who expressed themselves.

U.S. Navy Sonar Linked To Whale Strandings, Environmental Scientists Argue Posted: 06 Oct 2008 10:00 PM CDT With the U.S. Supreme Court due to review a series of lower court rulings that restrict the Navy's use of sonar in submarine detection training exercises off the coast of Southern California, George Mason University professor Chris Parsons discusses the links between mass strandings and military exercises worldwide in a paper in the Marine Pollution Bulletin.

Patients Who Recover From Coma But Cannot Communicate Feel Pain Posted: 06 Oct 2008 10:00 PM CDT Do patients who survive a severe brain injury but fail to recover speech or non-verbal communication perceive pain? After their remarkable publication where they showed that a patient in a vegetative state in reality was conscious, scientists in Belgium were able to tackle the very difficult issue of pain perception in coma survivors.

Small Asteroid To Light Up Sky Over Africa Posted: 06 Oct 2008 10:00 PM CDT An asteroid measuring several feet in diameter is expected to enter the atmosphere over northern Sudan before dawn Tuesday (Oct. 7), setting off a potentially brilliant natural fireworks display.

Researchers Document World's Mammals In Crisis Posted: 06 Oct 2008 10:00 PM CDT From majestic African elephants to tiny and often unappreciated rodents, mammals on Earth are in a state of crisis. One in four mammal species on Earth is being pushed to extinction, according to the Global Mammal Assessment, the most comprehensive assessment of the world's mammals.

Peer-to-peer Networking Takes Internet Out Of The Equation Posted: 06 Oct 2008 10:00 PM CDT When people working on a project get together with their laptops and PDAs, they share information via the internet and a client server. But new software developed by European researchers allows independent, ad hoc, secure networking anywhere.

Effects Of Disclosing Financial Interests On Participation In Medical Research Posted: 06 Oct 2008 10:00 PM CDT Knowing how an investigator is paid for running a research study surprisingly plays a small role in patients' willingness to take part in clinical trials. However, according to a new study more participants are troubled when they are told that the investigator could profit or lose money depending on the results.

Most Alaskan Glaciers Retreating, Thinning, Or Stagnating Posted: 06 Oct 2008 07:00 PM CDT Most glaciers in every mountain range and island group in Alaska are experiencing significant retreat, thinning or stagnation, especially glaciers at lower elevations, according to U.S. Geological Survey research.

Visualizing Election Polls: An Animated, Interactive Way To Analyze Opinion Data Posted: 06 Oct 2008 07:00 PM CDT Do you want to know the percentage of white women who support vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin? What about college-educated versus high school-educated white women? Or those who also hunt? University of Utah computer scientists have written software they hope eventually will allow news reporters and citizens to easily, interactively and visually answer such questions when analyzing election results, political opinion polls or other surveys.

New Study Finds Summer Is Peak Season For Diagnosis Of Esophagus Disorder Posted: 06 Oct 2008 07:00 PM CDT Two new studies examine eosinophilic esophagitis, a condition that can mimic symptoms of GERD, in a small proportion of people. The first study finds that the diagnosis of EoE, previously termed "allergic esophagitis," peaked during the summer months. The second analysis reviews a case series of heartburn patients who underwent surgery to treat GERD, but who were found later actually to suffer from EoE.

Biophysicists Create New Model For Protein-cholesterol Interactions In Brain And Muscle Tissue Posted: 06 Oct 2008 07:00 PM CDT Using 3,200 computer processors and long-established data on cholesterol, a clearer picture emerges of a protein involved in inflammation, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, addiction and more.

Corner Stores Capture Kids On Morning Commute Posted: 06 Oct 2008 07:00 PM CDT Researchers recently examined the eating habits of urban children before and after school as part of a larger project to make corner store snacks healthier.

Nearly One In Four Of World’s Mammals At Risk Of Disappearing Forever Posted: 06 Oct 2008 04:00 PM CDT The most comprehensive assessment of the world's mammals has confirmed an extinction crisis, with almost one in four at risk of disappearing forever, according to The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

Women Require Less Tobacco Exposure Than Men To Increase Colon Cancer Risk Posted: 06 Oct 2008 04:00 PM CDT While smoking poses a health threat to both men and women, women require less tobacco exposure than men to have a significant increased risk for colorectal cancer, according to new research. In a separate analysis, researchers found smoking may increase the risk of pancreatic cancer precursor lesions, particularly in patients with a strong family history of the disease.

Combined Minimally Invasive Procedures Offer New Option For Lumbar Degenerative Scoliosis Posted: 06 Oct 2008 04:00 PM CDT Surgeons have combined three innovative minimally invasive spine surgery procedures to treat spinal curvature in adults, a common consequence of aging. A new article in the Journal of Spinal Disorders and Techniques is believed to be the first to document the use of these procedures in combination to correct this condition, known as adult lumbar degenerative scoliosis.

Egalitarian Revolution In The Pleistocene? Posted: 06 Oct 2008 04:00 PM CDT Although anthropologists and evolutionary biologists are still debating this question, a new study supports the view that the first egalitarian societies may have appeared tens of thousands of years before the French Revolution, Marx and Lenin.

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