ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

Global Warming Threatens Australia's Iconic Kangaroos Posted: 16 Oct 2008 01:00 PM CDT An increase in average temperature of only two degrees Celsius could have a devastating effect on populations of Australia's iconic kangaroos.

Baby Formula Contamination May Be Linked To Pet Food Contamination Posted: 16 Oct 2008 01:00 PM CDT A new study in Toxicological Sciences describes the kidney toxicity of melamine and cyanuric acid based on research that was done to characterize the toxicity of the compounds that contaminated pet food in North America in 2007. This research points to a possible link between the pet food contamination that occurred in North America in 2007 and the recent adulteration of milk protein and resultant intoxication of thousands of babies from Asia.

Methamphetamine Enters Brain Quickly And Lingers Posted: 16 Oct 2008 01:00 PM CDT Using positron emission tomography to track tracer doses of methamphetamine in humans' brains, scientists find that the addictive and long-lasting effects of this increasingly prevalent drug can be explained in part by its pharmacokinetics -- the rate at which it enters and clears the brain, and its distribution.

Obtaining Kidney Transplants Abroad Carries Certain Medical Risks Posted: 16 Oct 2008 01:00 PM CDT People traveling to other countries to receive kidney transplants experience more severe post-transplant complications with a higher incidence of acute rejection and severe infections, according to a new study. The findings suggest that such "transplant tourism" by Americans may not be as safe as receiving transplants in the United States.

Sensitive Laser Instrument Could Aid Search For Life On Mars Posted: 16 Oct 2008 01:00 PM CDT Minuscule traces of cells can be detected in a mineral likely present on Mars, researchers report in the current online issue of the peer-reviewed Geomicrobiology Journal. The results, obtained using a technique developed at the US Department of Energy's Idaho National Laboratory, could help mission scientists choose Martian surface samples with the most promise for yielding signs of life.

10 Years On, High-school Social Skills Predict Better Earnings Than Test Scores Posted: 16 Oct 2008 01:00 PM CDT Ten years after graduation, high-school students who had been rated as conscientious and cooperative by their teachers were earning more than classmates who had similar test scores but fewer social skills, said a new study.

Movement Restored To Paralyzed Limbs In Monkeys Through Artificial Brain-muscle Connections Posted: 16 Oct 2008 10:00 AM CDT Researchers have demonstrated for the first time that a direct artificial connection from the brain to muscles can restore voluntary movement in monkeys whose arms have been temporarily anesthetized.

Body's Anti-HIV Drug Explained Posted: 16 Oct 2008 10:00 AM 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.

Coastal Dead Zones May Benefit Some Species, Scientist Finds Posted: 16 Oct 2008 10:00 AM CDT A Brown ecologist has found that coastal "dead zones" may not be so dead after all. In a paper published this month in the journal Ecology, Andrew Altieri has found that the commercially valuable quahog clam thrives in hypoxic waters in Narragansett Bay -- partly because the clam's predators flee the low-oxygen areas.

Preventing Colds: Washing Your Hands Is More Effective Than Taking Vitamins Posted: 16 Oct 2008 10:00 AM CDT Many people have started taking vitamin C tablets as a precautionary measure. But research has shown that vitamin supplements do not provide nearly as much protection as other measures, like frequently washing your hands -- and that high doses can even be harmful.

Creating Wireless Network Using Visible Light Posted: 16 Oct 2008 10:00 AM CDT Researchers are developing a new generation of wireless communications based on visible light instead of radio waves. This capability would piggyback data communications capabilities on low-power light emitting diodes or LEDs to create "smart lighting." This technology would also be more secure and faster than current network technology -- all over existing power lines with low power consumption, high reliability and no electromagnetic interference.

Safety Decisions Often Based On Incomplete Scientific Information Posted: 16 Oct 2008 10:00 AM CDT Professionals may overlook important information when they search for research findings about injury prevention and safety promotion. The typical search uses no more than one or two online databases, and often only familiar search terms are used thereby limiting the search even further.

Earth-like Planets May Be Easier To Find Than Previously Thought: Young Planets Stay Hotter Longer Posted: 16 Oct 2008 07:00 AM CDT Hot, young planets may be easier to spot because they stay that way longer than astronomers have thought. A new study shows that newborn Earth-like planets could be easier to find than previously thought.

Drug May Reduce Coronary Artery Plaque Posted: 16 Oct 2008 07:00 AM CDT New research suggests that olmesartan, a drug commonly used to treat high blood pressure, may play a role in reducing coronary plaque.

Virus As Nano-building Block: Extreme Nature Helps Scientists Design Nano Materials Posted: 16 Oct 2008 07:00 AM CDT Scientists are using designs in nature from extreme environments to overcome the challenges of producing materials on the nanometre scale. They have now identified a stable, modifiable virus that could be used as a nanobuilding block.

New Guidelines Urge Physical Activity During Pregnancy Posted: 16 Oct 2008 07:00 AM CDT Moderate physical activity during pregnancy does not contribute to low birth weight, premature birth or miscarriage and may actually reduce the risk of complications, according to a Michigan State University professor who contributed to the US government's first-ever guidelines on physical activity.

'Two In One' Enzyme: Unusually Flexible Posted: 16 Oct 2008 07:00 AM CDT Scientists have solved the structure of an unusually flexible enzyme in a virus that infects marine bacteria.

Death Rate 70 Percent Lower At Top-rated Hospitals: HealthGrades Annual Hospital Quality Study Posted: 16 Oct 2008 07:00 AM CDT Patients have on average a 70 percent lower chance of dying at the nation's top-rated hospitals compared with the lowest-rated hospitals across 17 procedures and conditions analyzed in the eleventh annual HealthGrades Hospital Quality in America Study, issued today by HealthGrades, the leading independent healthcare ratings organization. Based on the study, HealthGrades today made available its 2009 quality ratings for all nonfederal hospitals in the country at www.healthgrades.com.

Quantum Mechanical 'Hurricanes' Form Spontaneously In Super-Cold Gas Posted: 16 Oct 2008 04:00 AM CDT Scientists have discovered experimentally that when super-cold gas becomes a Bose-Einstein condensate, it can spontaneously spin up what might be described as quantum mechanical twisters or hurricanes.

Gene With Probable Role In Human Susceptibility To Pulmonary Tuberculosis Identified Posted: 16 Oct 2008 04:00 AM CDT A new gene that may confer susceptibility to pulmonary tuberculosis has been identified. First time that gene, toll-like receptor 8, linked to bacterial infections.

Decline In Alaskan Sea Otters Affects Bald Eagles' Diet Posted: 16 Oct 2008 04:00 AM CDT Sea otters are known as a keystone species, filling such an important niche in ocean communities that without them, entire ecosystems can collapse. Scientists are finding, however, that sea otters can have even farther-reaching effects that extend to terrestrial communities and alter the behavior of another top predator: the bald eagle.

Simpler Diagnostic Method May Be As Effective At Detecting Blood Clot In The Leg Posted: 16 Oct 2008 04:00 AM CDT A comparison of two diagnostic methods used to detect deep vein thrombosis (DVT; a blood clot in a deep vein in the leg or thigh) of the lower extremities indicates that a simpler method, with wider availability, has rates of DVT detection that are equivalent to a more complex method, according to a new study.

New Instrument Puts New Spin On Superconductors Posted: 16 Oct 2008 04:00 AM CDT The race to understand the latest superconducting iron-arsenic compounds has taken another step forward. Researchers have used a brand new instrument that indicates the compound's superconducting properties could be related to magnetic spins rather than lattice vibrations.

Obama's and McCain's Technology Policies Examined Posted: 16 Oct 2008 04:00 AM CDT As the 2008 presidential election enters its final month, researchers have found some sharp differences -- and surprising similarities -- in the two major candidates' positions on technology policy.

Magellanic Group And Its Seven Dwarf Galaxies Posted: 16 Oct 2008 01:00 AM CDT Astronomers have proposed a new theory for the formation of dwarf galaxies. Researchers solve several outstanding problems by comparing observed dwarfs to supercomputer simulations of their formation.

Probiotic Bacteria Don't Make Eczema Better, And May Have Side Effects, Study Shows Posted: 16 Oct 2008 01:00 AM CDT There is no evidence probiotics can relieve the symptoms of eczema, but there is some evidence that they may occasionally cause infections and gut problems. These findings from the Cochrane Library come at a time when use of probiotics to treat eczema is increasing.

Important New Hair-loss Gene Discovered Posted: 16 Oct 2008 01:00 AM 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.

Novel Imaging Approach May Assist In Predicting Success Of Treatment For Atrial Fibrillation Posted: 16 Oct 2008 01:00 AM CDT Researchers have developed a magnetic resonance imaging-based method for detecting and quantifying injury to the wall of the heart's left atrium in patients who have undergone a procedure to treat atrial fibrillation.

Computer Grids Get Down To Business Posted: 16 Oct 2008 01:00 AM CDT New technology developed by European researchers allows companies to deploy their business processes using grid computing and, even better, it validates a platform that gives easy access to grid resources. It is a big deal.

Deal Or No Deal? The Role Of Emotions In Negotiating Offers Posted: 16 Oct 2008 01:00 AM CDT Do skilled negotiators simply go with their gut instinct every time or are they just extremely calculating, figuring out all possible outcomes before making a choice? Researchers examined how emotions affect our negotiating skills by having participants play a negotiation game. Their results show that emotional players were more focused on the "gist" of the offer itself (and what felt good), rather than on calculating the probabilities of payoff.

Details Of Evolutionary Transition From Fish To Land Animals Revealed Posted: 15 Oct 2008 10:00 PM CDT New research has provided the first detailed look at the internal head skeleton of Tiktaalik roseae, the 375-million-year-old fossil animal that represents an important intermediate step in the evolutionary transition from fish to animals that walked on land. A predator, up to nine feet long, with sharp teeth, a crocodile-like head and a flattened body, Tiktaalik's anatomy and way of life straddle the divide between fish and land-living animals.

Brain-nourishing Molecule May Predict Schizophrenia Relapse Posted: 15 Oct 2008 10:00 PM CDT A factor that helps optimize brain formation and function may also provide clues about whether patients suffering with schizophrenia are headed toward relapse, researchers say.

Being Altruistic May Make You Attractive Posted: 15 Oct 2008 10:00 PM CDT Displays of altruism or selflessness towards others can be sexually attractive in a mate. In three studies of more than 1,000 people, researchers discovered that women place significantly greater importance on altruistic traits than anything else.

Public Health Experts Discover New Information About Diabetes' Link To Tuberculosis Posted: 15 Oct 2008 10:00 PM CDT New evidence shows that patients with type 2 diabetes may be at increased risk of contracting tuberculosis because of a compromised immune system, resulting in life-threatening lung infections that are more difficult to treat.

New Computer Program Improves Search For People Posted: 15 Oct 2008 10:00 PM CDT A new computer program speeds up the process of finding the right person in an organization's network. This technique can also make it easier to search for specific people on the Internet.

A Walk In The Park Improves Attention In Children With ADHD Posted: 15 Oct 2008 10:00 PM CDT For children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder tasks that require concentration such as doing homework or taking a test can be very difficult. A simple, inexpensive remedy may be a "dose of nature."

Violently Variable Black Holes Probed Posted: 15 Oct 2008 07:00 PM CDT Unique observations of the flickering light from the surroundings of two black holes provide new insights into the colossal energy that flows at their hearts. By mapping out how well the variations in visible light match those in X-rays on very short timescales, astronomers have shown that magnetic fields must play a crucial role in the way black holes swallow matter.

Breast Is Best In Fight Against Childhood Asthma Posted: 15 Oct 2008 07:00 PM CDT Breast feeding is linked to a lower incidence in asthma in young children, according to a new study.

Did Pirates Create The Credit Crunch? Posted: 15 Oct 2008 07:00 PM CDT As the world's money markets do their best to combat the Credit Crunch, a politics lecturer has discovered that the root of modern democracy's money woes may lay with the first corporations – pirates.

Vulnerable Plaque May Be Easier To Detect Through New Imaging Technology Posted: 15 Oct 2008 07:00 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.

In A Last 'Stronghold' For Endangered Chimpanzees, Survey Finds Drastic Decline Posted: 15 Oct 2008 07:00 PM CDT In a population survey of West African chimpanzees living in Côte d'Ivoire, researchers estimate that this endangered subspecies has dropped in numbers by a whopping 90 percent since the last survey was conducted 18 years ago. The few remaining chimpanzees are now highly fragmented, with only one viable population living in Taï National Park, according to a report in Current Biology.

Searching The Internet Increases Brain Function Posted: 15 Oct 2008 07:00 PM CDT Scientists have found that for computer-savvy middle-aged older adults, searching the Internet triggers key centers in the brain that control decision-making and complex reasoning. The findings demonstrate that Web search activity may help stimulate and possibly improve brain function.

People With Autism Make More Rational Decisions, Study Shows Posted: 15 Oct 2008 04:00 PM CDT People with autism-related disorders are less likely to make irrational decisions, and are less influenced by gut instincts, according to new research. The study adds to the growing body of research implicating altered emotional processing in autism.

Resveratrol Prevents Fat Accumulation In Livers Of 'Alcoholic' Mice Posted: 15 Oct 2008 04:00 PM CDT A new study shows that a substance found in grapes, red wine and peanuts, prevents alcoholic fatty liver by coordinating molecules that control fat metabolism. The accumulation of fat in the liver as a result of chronic alcohol consumption could be prevented by consuming resveratrol, according to the study with mice. The research found that resveratrol reduced the amount of fat produced in the liver of mice fed alcohol and, at the same time, increased the rate at which fat within the liver is broken down.

Why Do Women Get More Cavities Than Men? Posted: 15 Oct 2008 04:00 PM CDT Reproduction pressures and rising fertility explain why women suffered a more rapid decline in dental health than did men as humans transitioned from hunter-and-gatherers to farmers and more sedentary pursuits, says an anthropologist.

More Americans Have, Get Treated For High Blood Pressure Posted: 15 Oct 2008 04:00 PM CDT An analysis of data from two national health studies shows that more US adults have hypertension than ever before. The percent of those aware of, being treated for and having the disorder under control has increased and as a result more people are living with rather than dying from hypertension. Researchers say the nation's obesity epidemic is a major factor for the increase in hypertension prevalence.

NASA's Phoenix Lander Weathers Martian Dust Storm Posted: 15 Oct 2008 04:00 PM CDT The Phoenix Lander over the weekend successfully weathered a regional dust storm that temporarily lowered its solar power, and the team is back investigating the Red Planet's northern plains.

Subconscious Encounters: How Brand Exposure Affects Your Choices Posted: 15 Oct 2008 04:00 PM CDT Products with visible brand names are everywhere; many times we don't even notice them. But how much do those unnoticed exposures affect brand choices? Quite a bit, according to a new study in the Journal of Consumer Research.

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