ScienceDaily: Latest Science News |
| First Gamma-ray-only Pulsar Observation Opens New Window On Stellar Evolution Posted: 17 Oct 2008 04:00 PM CDT About three times a second, a 10,000-year-old stellar corpse sweeps a beam of gamma-rays toward Earth. This object, known as a pulsar, is the first one known to "blink" only in gamma rays, and was discovered by the Large Area Telescope onboard NASA's Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope.  |
| Gene Screen To Identify Causes Of Autism Posted: 17 Oct 2008 04:00 PM CDT A new screening method can be used to detect the chromosomal abnormalities most commonly associated with autism spectrum disorders. By screening for genetic defects associated with various kinds of cognitive impairment, the approach will help clinicians identify the underlying causes of some patients' autism spectrum disorders.  |
| Nanotechnology Boosts War On Superbugs Posted: 17 Oct 2008 04:00 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.  |
| Prostate Cancer Gene Test Provides New Early Detection Posted: 17 Oct 2008 04:00 PM CDT Currently, early detection of prostate cancer depends on an abnormal digital rectal examination and an elevated prostate-specific-antigen (PSA) level requiring a prostate biopsy, often associated with anxiety, discomfort, complications, and heavy expenses. Now researchers have developed a test using a new PCa gene-based marker that can be carried out with a urine sample.  |
| Mathematicians Illuminate Deep Connection Between Classical And Quantum Physics Posted: 17 Oct 2008 04:00 PM CDT Mathematicians have proven a significant version of the quantum unique ergodicity conjecture. The new work, based in the pure mathematics area of number theory, illuminates deep connections between classical and quantum physics in what is being hailed as one of the best theorems of the year.  |
| Better Beer: College Team Creating Anticancer Brew Posted: 17 Oct 2008 04:00 PM CDT College students often spend their free time thinking about beer, but a group of Rice University students are taking it to the next level. They're using genetic engineering to create beer that contains resveratrol, a chemical in wine that's been shown to reduce cancer and heart disease in lab animals.  |
| Posted: 17 Oct 2008 01:00 PM CDT A new research field called transformation optics may usher in a host of radical advances including a cloak of invisibility and ultra-powerful microscopes and computers by harnessing nanotechnology and "metamaterials."  |
| Bugs In The Gut Trigger Production Of Important Immune Cells, Study Finds Posted: 17 Oct 2008 01:00 PM CDT A new study reveals that specific types of bacteria in the intestine trigger the generation of pro-inflammatory immune cells, a finding that could eventually lead to novel treatments for inflammatory bowel disease and other diseases.  |
| Neuroscientist Finds Transplanted Hand-to-brain Mapping 35 Years After Loss Of Limb Posted: 17 Oct 2008 01:00 PM CDT Four months after a successful hand transplant -- 35 years after amputation in an industrial accident at age 19 -- a 54-year-old man's emerging sense of touch is registered in the former "hand area" of the his brain, says a University of Oregon neuroscientist.  |
| Disease Leads To Vision Loss More Often In Men Posted: 17 Oct 2008 01:00 PM CDT A new study shows that men are more likely to lose vision as a result of a particular cause of intracranial hypertension, or increased pressure in the brain, than women with the condition.  |
| 'CarTel' Aims To Reduce Commute Times, Detect Engine Woes Posted: 17 Oct 2008 01:00 PM CDT Dozens of cars in the Boston area are testing the latest generation of an MIT mobile-sensor network for traffic analysis that could help drivers cut their commuting time, alert them to potential engine problems and more.  |
| ER Staffs: Gaps Exist In Hospital Preparedness For Dirty Bombs Posted: 17 Oct 2008 01:00 PM CDT Serious challenges remain in radioactivity readiness, according to a new study that finds emergency room doctors and nurses worry that hospitals are not adequately prepared to handle casualties from a radioactive 'dirty bomb.' Among the concerns is whether ER staffers, in a dirty bomb scenario, could protect themselves and give appropriate care, the study authors said.  |
| Posted: 17 Oct 2008 10:00 AM CDT Using brain imaging and chocolate milkshakes, scientists have found that women with weakened "reward circuitry" in their brains are at increased risk of weight gain over time and potential obesity. The risk increases even more for women who also have a gene associated with compromised dopamine signaling in the brain.  |
| Brain Function: Supersensitive Receptor Engineered, Gain Better Understanding Of Dopamine System Posted: 17 Oct 2008 10:00 AM CDT Genetically modifying a receptor found on the neurons that produce the neurotransmitter dopamine has given researchers a unique glimpse into the workings of the brain's dopamine system -- as well as a new target for treating diseases that result from either too much or too little of this critical neurotransmitter.  |
| Human Brain Still Awake, Even During Deep Sleep Posted: 17 Oct 2008 10:00 AM CDT Sleep in humans is divided in two main phases: non-REM sleep, which occupies most of our early sleep night, and REM sleep, during which our dreams prevail. Non-REM sleep is usually considered as a compensatory 'resting' state for the brain, following the intense waking brain activity. Now, new research challenges previous brain imaging studies which showed that the brain was less active during periods of non-REM sleep as compared to periods of wakefulness.  |
| Posted: 17 Oct 2008 10:00 AM CDT Like a burning fire, the brain is in constant need of oxygen, and when a blood vessel is blocked during a stroke, part of the brain becomes starved of oxygen and nutrients. When this happens, neurons in that part of the brain die off, leading to permanent loss of function in the parts of the body those neurons serve.  |
| Posted: 17 Oct 2008 10:00 AM CDT German and American researchers have for the first time identified complete gene sequences and function of two proteins in mussels that play a key defensive role against environmental toxicants. These proteins form part of an active, physiological barrier in mussel gills that protects them against environmental toxicants.  |
| Could Dr. House Be Replaced By A Computer? Posted: 17 Oct 2008 10:00 AM CDT Computer scientists are cracking the code on the metabolism of human diseases. Scientists know that different normal and diseased tissues behave differently. But a method that tells them just how they do so may one day give medical science a new way to fight obesity, hypertension, diabetes and other dangerous disorders of the metabolism.  |
| Scientists Use Light To Control Proteins Posted: 17 Oct 2008 07:00 AM CDT Scientists have discovered a way to use light to control certain proteins that catalyze biochemical reactions. This discovery is one of the first examples of someone successfully controlling the activity of a protein using light. The technology eventually could be expanded to have multiple uses, including the ability to turn off the activities of some disease-causing proteins in the cell.  |
| Scientists Trace Molecular Origin Of Proportional Development Posted: 17 Oct 2008 07:00 AM CDT When it comes to embryo formation in the lowly fruit fly, a little molecular messiness actually leads to enhanced developmental precision, according to a new study. The study provides new information about how cells choose their own fates, especially in maintaining the size relationship and proportionality of body parts during embryonic development.  |
| Never Fear: It May Be OK To Let Your Kids Gorge On Candy This Halloween Posted: 17 Oct 2008 07:00 AM CDT Halloween can present a very scary time of year for any parent concerned about their child's oral health. One pediatric dentist says that when his daughters go trick or treating, they come back with a pretty big haul -- but he lets them enjoy as much as they want.  |
| Flu Vaccine Not Associated With Reduced Hospitalizations Or Outpatient Visits Among Young Children Posted: 17 Oct 2008 07:00 AM CDT Use of the influenza vaccine was not associated with preventing hospitalizations or reducing physician visits for the flu in children age 5 and younger during two recent seasons, perhaps because the strains of virus in the vaccine did not match circulating strains, according to new report.  |
| Protein Shown To Play A Key Role In Normal Development Of Nervous System Posted: 17 Oct 2008 07:00 AM CDT A protein that enables nerve cells to communicate with each other plays a key role in controlling the developing nervous system. Research into how that protein helps precise connections to form among nerve cells may provide a basis for eventual treatments for patients who suffer injuries to their nervous system, including spinal cord injury.  |
| Racial Disparities In Cardiovascular Health Linked To Birth Weight, Slavery, Researchers Suggest Posted: 17 Oct 2008 07:00 AM CDT Two new articles examine the theory of "fetal programming" and their effect on racial health disparities. The studies, published in American Journal of Human Biology, suggest that the higher rates of hypertension and cardiovascular disease present in African Americans may be a consequence of low birth weights, and that these low birth weights may be a result of social rather than genetic factors.  |
| Einstein's Relativity Survives Neutrino Test Posted: 17 Oct 2008 04:00 AM CDT Physicists working to disprove "Lorentz invariance" -- Einstein's prediction that matter and massless particles will behave the same no matter how they're turned or how fast they go -- won't get that satisfaction from muon neutrinos, at least for the time being, says a consortium of scientists.  |
| Lack Of Vitamin D Linked To Parkinson's Disease Posted: 17 Oct 2008 04:00 AM CDT A majority of Parkinson's patients in a clinical study had insufficient levels of vitamin D, significantly more than Alzheimer's patients or healthy elderly people. The finding suggests that lack of vitamin D may contribute to the risk of developing Parkinson's.  |
| Portable Imaging System Will Help Maximize Public Health Response To Natural Disasters Posted: 17 Oct 2008 04:00 AM CDT Researchers have developed a low-cost, high-resolution imaging system that can be attached to a helicopter to create a complete and detailed picture of an area devastated by a hurricane or other natural disaster. The resulting visual information can be used to estimate the number of storm refugees and assess the need for health and humanitarian services.  |
| Is It Appendicitis? Symptoms Checklist Available For Doctors From Johns Hopkins Posted: 17 Oct 2008 04:00 AM CDT A young child arrives at the emergency room after several days of abdominal pain, vomiting, and diarrhea and is sent home with a diagnosis of viral gastritis and treatment for the symptoms. The child seems better for a while, only to return to the ER with worse symptoms and a ruptured appendix, a life-threatening complication of appendicitis.  |
| Brazilian Acai Berry Antioxidants Absorbed By Human Body, Research Shows Posted: 17 Oct 2008 04:00 AM CDT A Brazilian palm berry, popular health food though little research has been done on it, now may have its purported benefits better understood. In the first research involving people, the acai berry has proven its ability to be absorbed in the human body when consumed both as juice and pulp.  |
| Retail Display Fixtures Can Affect Consumer Perceptions Of Products Posted: 17 Oct 2008 04:00 AM CDT In virtually all stores, consumers view products on display fixtures that are presumed to be of little consequence. Yet, suppose that you were shopping for a set of trendy new coffee mugs and noticed some on a nearby table or shelf. Would your evaluation of just how trendy the mugs are change depending on the display fixture's surface material -- the piece of glass or wood beneath the product? According to a new study, there is reason to believe so.  |
| Gorilla Study Gives Clues To Human Language Development Posted: 17 Oct 2008 01:00 AM CDT A new study provides evidence that gorilla communication is linked to the left hemisphere of the brain - just as it is in humans.  |
| Researchers Continue To Find Genes For Type 1 Diabetes Posted: 17 Oct 2008 01:00 AM CDT Genetics researchers have identified two novel gene locations that raise the risk of type 1 diabetes. As they continue to reveal pieces of the complicated genetic puzzle for this disease, the researchers expect to improve predictive tests and devise preventive strategies.  |
| Lichens Function As Indicators Of Nitrogen Pollution In Forests Posted: 17 Oct 2008 01:00 AM CDT Scientists have found lichens can give insight into nitrogen air pollution effects on Sierra Nevada and San Bernardino mountain ecosystems, and protecting them provides safeguards for less sensitive species.  |
| Formoterol For Asthma: Evidence Of Serious Adverse Effects Posted: 17 Oct 2008 01:00 AM CDT Asthma sufferers who regularly take the beta2-agonist formoterol are more likely to suffer non-fatal serious adverse events than those given placebos. A review carried out by Cochrane researchers showed a significantly increased risk for people who took the drug once or twice daily for at least 12 weeks.  |
| Increased Retail Security With Smart Items Posted: 17 Oct 2008 01:00 AM CDT It is not uncommon for a few boxes of valuable goods to disappear from palettes on the way to retail outlets. That is why researchers in Germany are working on a new technical platform to safeguard such items. This involves using wireless ad-hoc sensor networks to create logistical information systems that allow them to be tracked along the entire distribution chain.  |
| Study Looks At The Lives Of Boys Who Commit Dating Violence Posted: 17 Oct 2008 01:00 AM CDT A new study sheds light on the lives of teenage boys who abuse their girlfriends.  |
| Computer Model Reveals Cells' Inner Workings: Could Help Tailor Chemotherapy Treatments Posted: 16 Oct 2008 10:00 PM CDT After spending years developing a computational model to help illuminate cell signaling pathways, a team of MIT researchers decided to see what would happen if they "broke" the model. The results reveal new ways in which cells process chemical information and could indicate how to maximize the effectiveness of disease treatments such as chemotherapy.  |
| Scientists Propose Creation Of New Type Of Seed Bank Posted: 16 Oct 2008 10:00 PM CDT While an international seed bank in a Norwegian island has been gathering news about its agricultural collection, a group of US scientists has just published an article outlining a different kind of seed bank, one that proposes the gathering of wild species -- at intervals in the future -- effectively capturing evolution in action.  |
| Get Moving: New Research Shows Early Mobility Better Than Bed Rest For ICU Patients Posted: 16 Oct 2008 10:00 PM CDT A critical care specialist who has reviewed recent studies of intensive care unit (ICU) patients and data from the Johns Hopkins Hospital concludes that the routine use of deep sedation and bed rest in ICU patients may be causing unnecessary and long-term physical impairment and poor quality of life after hospital discharge.  |
| Is It A Bird, Is It A Plane? No It’s Supercopter Posted: 16 Oct 2008 10:00 PM CDT Unmanned helicopters could soon be a key part of emergency relief operations, as well as bringing a new dimension to filmmaking, thanks to some innovative work done by European researchers.  |
| Blindsight: How Brain Sees What You Do Not See Posted: 16 Oct 2008 10:00 PM CDT Blindsight is a phenomenon in which patients with damage in the primary visual cortex of the brain can tell where an object is although they claim they cannot see it. Scientists now provide compelling evidence that blindsight occurs because visual information is conveyed bypassing the primary visual cortex.  |
| Colossal Black Holes Common In Early Universe, Spectacular Galactic Collision Suggests Posted: 16 Oct 2008 07:00 PM CDT Astronomers think that many -- perhaps all -- galaxies in the universe contain massive black holes at their centers. New observations with the Submillimeter Array now suggest that such colossal black holes were common even 12 billion years ago, when the universe was only 1.7 billion years old and galaxies were just beginning to form. The new conclusion comes from the discovery of two distant galaxies, both with black holes at their heart, which are involved in a spectacular collision.  |
| Gene Therapy Restores Vision To Mice With Retinal Degeneration Posted: 16 Oct 2008 07:00 PM CDT Researchers have used gene therapy to restore useful vision to mice with degeneration of the light-sensing retinal rods and cones, a common cause of human blindness. Their report describes the effects of broadly expressing a light-sensitive protein in other neuronal cells found throughout the retina.  |
| Substantial Loss Of Carbon, Nitrogen From Burned Soils -- And Connections To Warming Climate Posted: 16 Oct 2008 07:00 PM CDT A new study led by the Pacific Northwest Research Station represents the first direct evidence of the toll wildfire can take on forest soil layers. It draws on data from the 2002 Biscuit Fire, which scorched some 500,000 acres in southwest Oregon.  |
| Posted: 16 Oct 2008 07:00 PM CDT A study of professional mountain climbers has shown that high-altitude exposure can cause subtle white and grey matter changes to the area of the brain involved in motor activity.  |
| Microbes Useful For For Environmental Cleanup And Oil Recovery Posted: 16 Oct 2008 07:00 PM CDT A unique, patent-pending microbial consortium can be used both for cleaning up the environment and addressing our energy needs. The Savannah River National Laboratory's BioTiger was originally developed for cleaning up oil-contaminated soils, but has also shown itself useful for increasing oil recovery from oil sands.  |
| Early Exposure To Drugs, Alcohol Creates Lifetime Of Health Risk Posted: 16 Oct 2008 07:00 PM CDT Is it bad kids who do drugs, or doing drugs that makes kids bad? The answer is "both." People who began drinking and using marijuana regularly prior to their 15th birthday face a higher risk of early pregnancy, as well as a pattern of school failure, substance dependence, sexually-transmitted disease and criminal convictions that lasts into their 30s.  |
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