ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

Climate Change To Devastate Or Destroy Many Penguin Colonies Posted: 13 Oct 2008 10:00 AM CDT Half to three-quarters of major Antarctic penguin colonies face decline or disappearance if global temperatures are allowed to climb by more than 2°C.

Nerve Stimulation Therapy Alleviates Pain For Chronic Headache Posted: 13 Oct 2008 10:00 AM CDT A novel therapy using a miniature nerve stimulator instead of medication for the treatment of profoundly disabling headache disorders improved the experience of pain by 80-95 percent, according to a new study.

New Robotic Repair System Will Fix Ailing Satellites Posted: 13 Oct 2008 10:00 AM CDT Researchers are developing a new robotic system to service more than 8,000 satellites now orbiting the Earth, beyond the flight range of ground-based repair operations. Currently, when the high-flying celestial objects malfunction -- or simply run out of fuel -- they become "space junk" cluttering the cosmos.

Tumor Formation In Stem Cells Linked to Mitochondria Posted: 13 Oct 2008 10:00 AM CDT Researchers report on a previously unknown relationship between stem cell potency and the metabolic rate of their mitochondria -- a cell's energy makers. Stem cells with more active mitochondria also have a greater capacity to differentiate and are more likely to form tumors.

Millisecond Brain Signals Predict Response To Fast-acting Antidepressant Posted: 13 Oct 2008 10:00 AM CDT Images of the brain's fastest signals reveal an electromagnetic marker that predicts a patient's response to a fast-acting antidepressant. Such use of a brain scanner could someday minimize trial-and-error prescribing and speed delivery of care, say researchers. Depressed patients showed increased activity in a mood-regulating hub near the front of the brain while viewing flashing frightful faces -- the more the increase, the better their response to an experimental fast-acting medication called ketamine.

American Culture Derails Girl Math Whizzes, Study Finds Posted: 13 Oct 2008 10:00 AM CDT A culture of neglect and, at some age levels, outright social ostracism, is derailing a generation of students, especially girls, deemed the very best in mathematics, according to a new study.

Space Fly-by Reveals New Insights Into Titan's Life Posted: 13 Oct 2008 07:00 AM CDT Cracking the secrets of the atmosphere of Titan, Saturn's mysterious moon, and how planetary atmospheres evolve, have come a step closer after evaluation of data from a successful fly-by of its surface by the Cassini spacecraft.

H. Pylori Bacteria May Help Prevent Some Esophageal Cancers Posted: 13 Oct 2008 07:00 AM CDT Some bacteria may help protect against the development of a type of esophageal cancer, known as adenocarcinoma, according to a new review of the medical literature. These bacteria, which are called Helicobacter pylori, live in the stomachs of humans.

What Is Wild? Odor Attraction Is Different Among Different Wildtype Flies Posted: 13 Oct 2008 07:00 AM CDT Vinegar flies (Drosophila melanogaster) show a highly selective behavior towards odor stimuli. A series of behavioral studies showed that a single olfactory stimulus is often not sufficient for immediate attraction to potential food sources or oviposition sites. Interestingly, the behavior differed between investigated D. melanogaster varieties, so-called "wildtypes".

Endoscopic Therapy May Offer An Alternative To Surgery In Patients With Esophageal Cancer Posted: 13 Oct 2008 07:00 AM CDT New research has evaluated the long-term efficacy of endoscopic mucosal resection, or EMR, in the treatment of patients with early stage esophageal cancer or Barrett's esophagus. Two separate studies suggest EMR is an effective treatment alternative to surgery and generally yields positive long-term results.

Under Pressure At The Nanoscale, Polymers Play By Different Rules Posted: 13 Oct 2008 07:00 AM CDT Scientists putting the squeeze on thin films of polystyrene have discovered that at very short length scales the polymer doesn't play by the rules.

Connections Between Vision And Movement, As They Relate To Perceived Threats, Autism Posted: 13 Oct 2008 07:00 AM CDT In research designed to assist US Department of Homeland Security and provide insight into how autistic individuals perceive others, scientists are examining how our visual system helps interpret the intent conveyed in subtle body movements. While most autism research has focused on difficulties in face perception, this new research examines autism as it relates to connections between visual analysis, body movement and our ability to interact.

Unique Fossils Capture ‘Cambrian Migration’ Posted: 13 Oct 2008 04:00 AM CDT A unique set of fossils indicates that 525 million years ago marine animals congregated in Earth's ancient oceans, most likely for migration, according to an international team of scientists. Fossil evidence of collective behavior is extremely rare. But what makes the find even more intriguing is that it indicates that such behavior was occurring at the beginning of the 'Cambrian explosion' -- a major event that saw a vast profusion of complex organisms enter the fossil record for the first time.

St. John's Wort Relieves Symptoms Of Major Depression, Study Shows Posted: 13 Oct 2008 04:00 AM CDT New research provides support for the use of St. John's wort extracts in treating major depression. A Cochrane systematic review backs up previous research that showed the plant extract is effective in treating mild to moderate depressive disorders.

Atlantic Wolffish: Fearsome Fish That Deserve Protection? Posted: 13 Oct 2008 04:00 AM CDT A group has filed a scientific petition with the federal government seeking endangered species protection for the Atlantic wolffish, a fish threatened with extinction due to years of overharvesting and habitat loss due to modern fishing gear. If the petition is successful, this will be the first listing of a marine fish as an endangered in New England.

Vitamin D Deficiency Common In Patients With IBD, Chronic Liver Disease Posted: 13 Oct 2008 04:00 AM CDT Researchers have found patients with inflammatory bowel disease or chronic liver disease were at increased risk of developing Vitamin D deficiencies. Two separate studies highlight the importance of regular Vitamin D checkups in the evaluation of patients with certain digestive diseases.

Mechanism Of Asymmetry In Meiotic Cell Division Probed Posted: 13 Oct 2008 04:00 AM CDT Scientists have characterized a mechanism that allows for asymmetrical cell division during meiosis in oocytes. By tracking chromosome movement in live mouse oocytes, they have discovered that chromosomes can recruit to their vicinity a protein called formin-2. This protein allows the oocyte to retain the majority of the cytoplasm -- a requirement for embryonic development after fertilization -- while the other daughter cell (called a polar body) resulting from the asymmetric division gets only a minimal amount and subsequently dies.

Ergonomic Boost: Improving Workers' Posture And Working Conditions In Manufacturing Plant Can Increase Productivity Posted: 13 Oct 2008 04:00 AM CDT New research suggests that teaching staff about improving their posture and working conditions in a manufacturing plant can boost productivity by more than 50 percent.

Baldness Gene Discovered: 1 In 7 Men At Risk Posted: 13 Oct 2008 01:00 AM CDT Researchers have identified two genetic variants in Caucasians that together produce an astounding sevenfold increase the risk of male pattern baldness.

Thinner Cortex In Cocaine Addicts May Reflect Drug Use And A Pre-existing Disposition To Drug Abuse Posted: 13 Oct 2008 01:00 AM CDT New research findings suggest that structural abnormalities in the brains of cocaine addicts are related in part to drug use and in part to a predisposition toward addiction. The research maps the topography of the addicted brain and provides new insight into the effect of cocaine on neural systems mediating cognition and motivation.

Engineering Aluminum-tolerant Crop Plants: Biochemists Devise Method For Bypassing Toxicity Effects Posted: 13 Oct 2008 01:00 AM CDT Aluminum toxicity, a global agricultural problem, halts root growth in plants, severely limiting agricultural productivity for more than half of the world's arable land. Now biochemists have determined that it is not aluminum toxicity that is directly responsible for inhibiting plant growth. The researchers identified a factor in plant cells, called AtATR, that functions as a built-in DNA surveillance system for alerting the plant of damage from excess aluminum and shutting down growth.

Radio-frequency Identification Reduces Specimen Labeling Errors Posted: 13 Oct 2008 01:00 AM CDT With a long-held commitment to continuously improving the quality and safety of patient care, Mayo Clinic researchers are recommending a new technologically-advanced labeling system aimed at reducing specimen labeling errors in a high-volume gastrointestinal endoscopy center.

Paving The Way Towards Optical Sensing Foils Posted: 13 Oct 2008 01:00 AM CDT Scientists have made the first functional optical links embedded in a flexible substrate. The links include optical waveguides, light sources, and detectors. With this technique, it becomes possible to make foils that sense changes in pressure. Such sensing, skin-like foils could be used for monitoring irregular or moving surfaces, e.g. in robots, pliable machinery, or as an artificial skin.

Parents Foster Significant Misperceptions Of Children's Weight Posted: 13 Oct 2008 01:00 AM CDT Results of a survey have revealed that many parents do not accurately perceive their children as overweight or at risk for adulthood obesity. Obesity in the United States is often accompanied by an increased risk of gastrointestinal diseases and has emerged as a major health concern, particularly the issue of obesity among children and adolescents.

Body's Anti-HIV Drug Explained Posted: 11 Oct 2008 11:00 PM CDT Humans have a built-in weapon against HIV, but until recently no one knew how to unlock its potential. A new study in the journal Nature reveals the atomic structure of an enzyme capable of repelling the virus HIV, suggesting new approach for drug development.

Pandemic Flu Models Help Determine Food Distribution And School Closing Strategies Posted: 11 Oct 2008 11:00 PM CDT Pandemic flu models can help organizations improve their food distribution and school closing strategies in the event of such an emergency. The models are flexible so that multiple scenarios can be investigated to see which options meet an organization's specific goal.

Nanotechnology Boosts War On Superbugs Posted: 11 Oct 2008 11:00 PM CDT Scientists are using nanotechnology to investigate the workings of vancomycin, one of the few antibiotics that can be used to combat increasingly resistant infections such as MRSA. The researchers developed ultra-sensitive probes capable of providing new insight into how antibiotics work, paving the way for the development of more effective new drugs.

Important New Hair-loss Gene Discovered Posted: 11 Oct 2008 11:00 PM CDT Scientists have discovered an important hair-loss gene. In 2005, these scientists had already characterized the first hair-loss gene inherited through the maternal line, which explained why hair-loss in men often reflects that of their maternal grandfathers. This newly discovered gene, on the other hand, may now account for the similarity in cranial hair growth between father and son.

Vulnerable Plaque May Be Easier To Detect Through New Imaging Technology Posted: 11 Oct 2008 11:00 PM CDT Research results indicate that optical coherence tomography, a newly evolving imaging method, may be the best tool available to detect vulnerable plaque in coronary arteries.

Triple Antiplatelet Therapy Appears Superior To Dual Antiplatelet Therapy, Study Suggests Posted: 11 Oct 2008 11:00 PM CDT New results suggest that triple antiplatelet therapy for patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention with drug-eluting stents achieves greater platelet inhibition than conventional dual antiplatelet therapy.

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