ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

Genetic Explanation For Moles' Poor Eyesight Posted: 25 Oct 2008 07:00 PM CDT Due to their underground habitats, moles' eyes have been modified by natural selection in ways very different from those of surface-dwelling animals. New research offers a detailed anatomical and genetic examination of the changes that result from living life in the dark.

Research Uncovers New Steps On Pathway To Enlarged Heart Posted: 25 Oct 2008 07:00 PM CDT Researchers have new insight into the mechanisms that underlie a pathological increase in the size of the heart. The research may lead to the development of new strategies for managing this extremely common cardiac ailment that often leads to heart failure.

First Inhabitants Of Caribbean Brought Drug Heirlooms With Them Posted: 25 Oct 2008 07:00 PM CDT Scientists have found physical evidence that the people who colonized the Caribbean from South America brought with them heirloom drug paraphernalia that had been passed down from generation to generation as the colonists traveled through the islands.

High-Dose Hormone Treatment Might Reduce Risk For Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Posted: 25 Oct 2008 07:00 PM CDT Cortisol helps our bodies cope with stress, but what about its effects on the brain? A new study in Biological Psychiatry, suggests that the answer to this question is complex. In an animal model of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), high doses of a cortisol-related substance, corticosterone, prevented negative consequences of stress exposure, including increased startle response and behavioral freezing when exposed to reminders of the stress. However, low-dose corticosterone potentiated these responses.

Development Puts An End To Evolution Of Endless Forms Posted: 25 Oct 2008 07:00 PM CDT Researchers have put forward a simple model of development and gene regulation that is capable of explaining patterns observed in the distribution of morphologies and body plans (or, more generally, phenotypes).

Why Binge Drinking Is Bad For Your Bones Posted: 25 Oct 2008 07:00 PM CDT Studies in recent years have demonstrated that binge drinking can decrease bone mass and bone strength, increasing the risk of osteoporosis. Now a new study has found a possible mechanism: Alcohol disturbs genes necessary for maintaining healthy bones. The findings could help in the development of new drugs to minimize bone loss in alcohol abusers and in those who don't abuse alcohol but are at risk for osteoporosis.

Birth Of White Rhino After Artificial Insemination With Frozen Sperm Posted: 25 Oct 2008 01:00 PM CDT A world-first: birth of a white rhino after artificial insemination with frozen sperm. The rhino baby, a male, was born at 4:57am in the Budapest Zoo on the 22nd of October 2008. In June 2007, scientists from the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research in Berlin artificially inseminated his mother, the rhino cow Lulu, with frozen bull semen.

Potential Strategy To Eliminate Poisonous Protein From Alzheimer Brains Identified Posted: 25 Oct 2008 01:00 PM CDT Scientists discovered that the activity of a potent AB-degrading enzyme can be unleashed in mouse models of the disease by reducing its natural inhibitor cystatin C.

Caste In Ant Colonies: How Fate Is Determined Between Workers And Queens Posted: 25 Oct 2008 01:00 PM CDT In colonies of social insects the struggle for the spoils is embodied by a reproductive division of labor. Some individuals (the queens) reproduce, while large and small workers provide the labor. Larvae become different castes (small workers, large workers, or new queens) based on genetics, nutrition, and environment (colony size). However the relative importance of each factor was different for each caste.

Hepatitis C Treatment Is Cost-effective For The US Prison Population Posted: 25 Oct 2008 01:00 PM CDT Treating all US prisoners who have hepatitis C with the standard therapy of pegylated-interferon and ribavirin would be cost-effective, says a new study.

Origin Of Root Offshoots Revealed; Possible Basis For New Ecological Agricultural Applications Posted: 25 Oct 2008 01:00 PM CDT Researchers have discovered the substance that governs the formation of root offshoots in plants, and how it works. Root offshoots are vitally important for plants -- and for farmers. Plants draw the necessary nutrients from the soil through their roots. Because they do this best with a well-branched root system, plants must form offshoots of their roots at the right moment. The researchers describe how this process is controlled in the professional journal Science.

U.S. Doctors Regularly Prescribe Real Drugs As Placebo Treatments, Study Claims Posted: 25 Oct 2008 01:00 PM CDT Many rheumatologists and general internal medicine physicians in the US say they regularly prescribe "placebo treatments" including active drugs such as sedatives and antibiotics, but rarely admit they are doing so to their patients, according to a new study.

Cameras Capture 'Fireball' In The Sky: Meteor May Have Crashed In Ontario Posted: 25 Oct 2008 07:00 AM CDT For the second time this year, the University of Western Ontario Meteor Group has captured incredibly rare video footage of a meteor falling to Earth. Astronomers suspect the fireball dropped meteorites in a region north of Guelph, Ontario, Canada, that may total as much as a few hundred grams in mass. The Physics and Astronomy Department at Western has a network of all-sky cameras in southern Ontario that scan the sky monitoring for meteors.

Study Shows How Antibiotic Sets Up Road Block To Kill Bacteria Posted: 25 Oct 2008 07:00 AM CDT Scientists have taken a critical step toward the development of new and more effective antibacterial drugs by identifying exactly how a specific antibiotic sets up a road block that halts bacterial growth. The antibiotic, myxopyronin, is a natural substance that is made by bacteria to fend off other bacteria. Scientists already knew that this antibiotic inhibited the actions of an enzyme called RNA polymerase, which sets gene expression in motion and is essential to the life of any cell.

Physical Strength, Fighting Ability Revealed In Human Faces Posted: 25 Oct 2008 07:00 AM CDT For our ancestors, misjudging the physical strength of a would-be opponent might have resulted in painful -- and potentially deadly -- defeat.

Laser Therapies For Hair Removal Appear To Be More Effective Than Combination Treatments, Study Suggests Posted: 25 Oct 2008 07:00 AM CDT Laser therapies commonly used for removal of unwanted hair appear to be safer and remove leg hair more effectively when used separately than when used as a combination treatment, according to a new report.

Photo Safeguards Confidential Information Posted: 25 Oct 2008 07:00 AM CDT These days you can take a photograph with almost every mobile phone. However, using this sort of photo to protect confidential data and send it safely is something new. Scientists have been researching this new way of employing biometrics.

UK Teen Suicide Rates On The Decline Posted: 25 Oct 2008 07:00 AM CDT Suicide rates in those aged 10-19 in the UK declined by 28 percent in the seven year period from 1997-2003, shows a study recently published in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry. The study showed that the decline was particularly marked in young males, where rates declined by 35 percent.

Female Plant 'Communicates' Rejection Or Acceptance Of Male Posted: 24 Oct 2008 07:00 PM CDT Without eyes or ears, plants must rely on the interaction of molecules to determine appropriate mating partners and avoid inbreeding. In a new study, University of Missouri researchers have identified pollen proteins that may contribute to the signaling processes that determine if a plant accepts or rejects individual pollen grains for reproduction.

Secret Of Death Protein's Activation Unlocked; May Lead To Drugs That Force Cancer Cells To Self-destruct Posted: 24 Oct 2008 07:00 PM CDT Scientists have identified a previously undetected trigger point on a naturally occurring "death protein" that helps the body get rid of unwanted or diseased cells. They say it may be possible to exploit the newly found trigger as a target for designer drugs that would treat cancer by forcing malignant cells to commit suicide.

Secrets From Within Planets Pave Way For Cleaner Energy Posted: 24 Oct 2008 07:00 PM CDT Research that has provided a deeper understanding into the center of planets could also provide the way forward in the world's quest for cleaner energy. Scientists have gained a deeper insight into the hot, dense matter found at the center of planets and as a result, has provided further understanding into controlled thermonuclear fusion.

Gene Mutation In Worms Key To Alcohol Tolerance Posted: 24 Oct 2008 07:00 PM CDT Scientists have found that a genetic mutation in worms could further understanding of alcoholism in humans.

Modern Genetics Versus Ancient Frog-killing Fungus Posted: 24 Oct 2008 07:00 PM CDT Scientists have sequenced the genome of the chytrid fungus known as Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis. Bd has been a major player in declining frog populations around the world. The scientists compared gene activation in two stages of Bd's life cycle. Out of several genes identified, one gene family in particular may hold the key to how the fungus kills frogs.

Should Hepatitis C Patients Who Smoke Marijuana Be Eligible For Liver Transplants? Posted: 24 Oct 2008 07:00 PM CDT The pain is debilitating. The only option: smoking medical marijuana. That's the reality for many hepatitis C patients whose road to health includes a liver transplant. Although Canadian transplant centres are more willing than those in the United States, not everyone says yes to liver patients who smoke marijuana, and a University of Alberta researcher says that decision-making process is unacceptable.

Highest Silicon Solar Cell Efficiency Ever Reached Posted: 24 Oct 2008 04:00 PM CDT Scientists have created the first silicon solar cell to achieve 25 percent efficiency following a revision of the international standard.

Promising New Obesity Drug May Have Huge Potential Posted: 24 Oct 2008 04:00 PM CDT According to trials, a new obesity drug, Tesofensine, which may be launched on the world market in a few years, can produce weight loss twice that of currently approved obesity drugs.

Seeing Red -- In The Number 7 Posted: 24 Oct 2008 04:00 PM CDT Hypnosis can induce synaesthetic experiences -- where one sense triggers the involuntary use of another according to a new study in Psychological Science.

Cancer Treatment: How Eating Fruit And Vegetables Can Improve Cancer Patients' Response To Chemotherapy Posted: 24 Oct 2008 04:00 PM CDT The leading cause of death in all cancer patients continues to be the resistance of tumor cells to chemotherapy, a form of treatment in which chemicals are used to kill cells. A new study shows that ingesting apigenin -- a naturally occurring dietary agent found in vegetables and fruit -- improves cancer cells' response to chemotherapy. Apigenin localizes tumor suppressor p53, a protein, in the cell nucleus -- a necessary step for killing the cell.

Cause Of Weakness In Marine Animal Hybrids Discovered Posted: 24 Oct 2008 04:00 PM CDT A genetic malfunction found in marine crustaceans called copepods likely explains why populations of animals that diverge and eventually reconnect produce weak "hybrid" offspring.

Child Abuse Increases Risk For Later Sexually Coercive Behavior In Some Men Posted: 24 Oct 2008 04:00 PM CDT Researchers trying to identify factors that put men at risk for committing sexual coercion have found that being victims of both childhood physical and sexual abuse made them 4.5 times more likely to engage in sexually coercive behavior than men who were not abused.

Potent Greenhouse Gas From Computer Display And TV Manufacture Prevalent In Atmosphere Posted: 24 Oct 2008 01:00 PM CDT A compound used in manufacture of flat panel televisions, computer displays, microcircuits, solar panels is 17,000 times more potent greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide. The amount of the gas in the atmosphere, which could not be detected using previous techniques, had been estimated at less than 1,200 metric tons in 2006. The new research shows the actual amount was 4,200 metric tons. In 2008, about 5,400 metric tons of the gas was in the atmosphere, a quantity that is increasing at about 11 percent per year.

Chemists Devise Self-assembling 'Organic Wires' Posted: 24 Oct 2008 01:00 PM CDT Chemists have created water-soluble electronic materials that spontaneously assemble themselves into tiny "wires" that can be used in the human body.

Mercury Pollution Causes Immune Damage To Harbor Seals Posted: 24 Oct 2008 01:00 PM CDT Methylmercury, the predominant form of mercury found in the blood of marine mammals and fish-eating communities, could be more damaging to seals than has previously been thought. New research shows that MeHg harms T-lymphocytes, key cells in a seal's immune system. Similar results were also found for human lymphocytes.

Gene Expression Pattern Predicts Response In Advanced Bowel Cancer Posted: 24 Oct 2008 01:00 PM CDT Research has shown for the first time that identifying patterns of gene expression can be used to predict response to treatment in patients with advanced metastatic colorectal cancer.

Engineering Nanoparticles For Maximum Strength Posted: 24 Oct 2008 01:00 PM CDT Individual nanocrystals are remarkably strong. But under stress, complex nanostructures often fail because of large internal strains. Research on hollow nanospheres at the National Center for Electron Microscopy shows that engineering can greatly increase the strength of complex nanoparticles, with potential for stronger nanostructures and large-scale alloys as well.

Stem Cell Research To Benefit Horse Owners And Trainers Posted: 24 Oct 2008 01:00 PM CDT In a potential breakthrough for the performance horse industry (such as racing and polo), scientists are aiming to harness stem cells to repair tendon, ligament, cartilage and bone damage in horses.

You are subscribed to email updates from ScienceDaily: Latest Science News To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email Delivery powered by FeedBurner
Inbox too full? Subscribe to the feed version of ScienceDaily: Latest Science News in a feed reader.
If you prefer to unsubscribe via postal mail, write to: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News, c/o FeedBurner, 20 W Kinzie, 9th Floor, Chicago IL USA 60610