ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

Sea Urchin Yields Key Secret Of Biomineralization Posted: 01 Nov 2008 07:00 PM CDT The teeth and bones of mammals, the protective shells of mollusks, and the needle-sharp spines of sea urchins and other marine creatures are made-from-scratch wonders of nature.

Scientists Identify Machinery That Helps Make Memories Posted: 01 Nov 2008 07:00 PM CDT Researchers have identified a missing-link molecule that helps to explain the process of plasticity in the brain during memory creation and that could lead to targeted therapies.

Inland Ants Often Prefer Salt Over Sugar, Implying Salt May Be A Limitation On Their Activity Posted: 01 Nov 2008 07:00 PM CDT Mammals are limited by the availability of salt, and now researchers have shown that ants are too. In experiments in North, Central and South American, researchers have shown that plant-eating and omnivorous ants living more than 60 miles inland are more interested in salt than sugar, with the preference greater the farther they live from the coast. Carnivorous ants show no such preference.

Grapes And Grape Extracts May Lower Cardiovascular Disease Risk, Review Article Suggests Posted: 01 Nov 2008 07:00 PM CDT A growing body of research data suggests that consuming foods rich in polyphenols from grapes, including red wine, helps reduce the risk of heart disease, according to a review article in Nutrition Research.

Quantum Computers? Internet Security Code Of The Future Cracked Posted: 01 Nov 2008 07:00 PM CDT Computer science experts have managed to crack the so-called McEliece encryption system. This system is a candidate for the security of Internet traffic in the age of the quantum computer -- the predicted super-powerful computer of the future.

A Pretty Face Can Make A Difference In Whom You Vote For Posted: 01 Nov 2008 07:00 PM CDT It's not surprising that everyone is talking about the great looks of Sarah Palin. The decision to play up the looks of the former beauty queen is a winning strategy. A perception of competence is not enough to give women the winning edge in political contests. For both male and female voters, female political candidates needed to be seen as attractive as well as competent to get their votes.

Ancient Mummy, The Tyrolean Iceman, Has No Modern Children Posted: 01 Nov 2008 01:00 PM CDT Researchers have revealed the complete mitochondrial genome of one of the world's most celebrated mummies, known as the Tyrolean Iceman or Ötzi. The sequence represents the oldest complete DNA sequence of modern humans' mitochondria. It is highly unlikely that the Iceman has any modern day relatives, according to researchers.

Interferon Could Be A Key To Preventing Or Treating Multiple Sclerosis Posted: 01 Nov 2008 01:00 PM CDT Multiple sclerosis results when the body's own defense system attacks nerve fibers in the brain and spinal cord. Now scientists have shown that interferon-gamma plays a deciding role in whether immune cells attack and injure the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) in mice.

Soft Rubber Harness Enables Researchers To Study Leatherback Turtles In Captivity For Years Posted: 01 Nov 2008 01:00 PM CDT A Canadian researcher has pioneered a soft rubber harness and a recipe that enabled him to raise and study leatherback turtles in captivity for more than two years -- a feat only one other team of scientists have achieved.

Cell Changes Leading To Impaired 'Artificial Kidney' Function Identified Posted: 01 Nov 2008 01:00 PM CDT Molecular targets identified by a Spanish research team may hold the key to freedom for some sufferers of kidney disease. A new study reveals the cellular signals which cause one treatment for kidney failure to lose its usefulness over time.

Optical Firewall Aims To Clear Internet Security Bottlenecks Posted: 01 Nov 2008 01:00 PM CDT Researchers are developing the world's first optical firewall capable of analyzing data on fiber optic networks at speeds of 40 gigabits per second. The work promises to save the internet from the looming threat of network security bottlenecks.

Presidential Candidates' Television Ads Most Negative In History Posted: 01 Nov 2008 01:00 PM CDT The 2008 presidential campaign, as reflected in candidates' television spots, has been one of the most negative campaigns in history. A University of Missouri professor analyzed this year's candidates' television spots, including last night's 30-minute ad by Sen. Barack Obama, and found that only one other campaign matched this level of negativity.

Hubble Back In Business: Pair Of Gravitationally Interacting Galaxies In Full View Posted: 01 Nov 2008 07:00 AM CDT The Hubble Space Telescope is back in business with a snapshot of the fascinating galaxy pair Arp 147. Just a couple of days after the orbiting observatory was brought back online, Hubble aimed its prime working camera, the Wide Field Planetary Camera 2 (WFPC2), at a particularly intriguing target, a pair of gravitationally interacting galaxies called Arp 147.

'Old Blood' Linked To Infection Posted: 01 Nov 2008 07:00 AM CDT Patients who received transfusions with blood stored for 29 days or more were twice as likely to suffer from nosocomial infections, including pneumonia, upper respiratory infections and sepsis, with the oldest blood being associated with the most infections. Currently, federal regulations allow red blood cells to be stored up to 42 days, after which they must be discarded.

Wildflower Declines In Thoreau's Concord Woods Are Due To Climate Changes Posted: 01 Nov 2008 07:00 AM CDT Drawing on records dating back to the journals of Henry David Thoreau, scientists have found that different plant families near Walden Pond have borne the effects of climate change in strikingly different ways. Some of the plant families hit hardest by global warming have included beloved species like lilies, orchids, violets, roses, and dogwoods.

Behavioral Link Between Breastfeeding And Lower Risk Of Childhood Obesity Posted: 01 Nov 2008 07:00 AM CDT While breastfeeding has been shown to reduce the risk of childhood obesity, the reason isn't clear. Researchers think it might have something to do with mom's attitudes and behavior at feeding time.

Conditions That Initiate Erosion Identified Posted: 01 Nov 2008 07:00 AM CDT Engineers have demonstrated that sustained spikes in turbulence are responsible for dislodging particles, whether on land or in the water.

Social Media And Presidential Election: Impact Of YouTube, MySpace Posted: 01 Nov 2008 07:00 AM CDT What is the impact of media on the political landscape in the US? Researchers are investigating the impact of hugely popular social media's impact on the upcoming presidential contest.

More Hidden Territory On Mercury Revealed By MESSENGER Spacecraft Posted: 31 Oct 2008 07:00 PM CDT A NASA spacecraft gliding over the battered surface of Mercury for the second time this year has revealed more previously unseen real estate on the innermost planet. The probe also has produced several science firsts and is returning hundreds of new photos and measurements of the planet's surface, atmosphere and magnetic field.

Simple Blood Test Predicts Obesity Posted: 31 Oct 2008 07:00 PM CDT According to new research, the degree of change in blood triglyceride levels following a fatty meal may indicate susceptibility to diet-induced obesity. The findings open doors to new methods of identifying people, including children, who are at risk for becoming obese.

Frequent Urination Protects Against Bladder Cancer, Study Finds Posted: 31 Oct 2008 07:00 PM CDT A new study has analyzed the effect of urinary frequency on the risk of bladder cancer. The research shows a direct association between the number of times people get up at night to urinate and protection against bladder cancer.

Sniffing Out A Better Chemical Sensor Posted: 31 Oct 2008 07:00 PM CDT Marrying a sensitive detector technology capable of distinguishing hundreds of different chemical compounds with a pattern-recognition module that mimics the way animals recognize odors, researchers have created a new approach for 'electronic noses' that is more adept than conventional methodologies at recognizing molecular features even for chemicals it has not been trained to detect.

Exercise Prevents Fatty Liver Disease, New Study Suggests Posted: 31 Oct 2008 07:00 PM CDT A new study indicates that the negative effects of skipping exercise can occur in a short period. The researchers found that a sudden transition to a sedentary lifestyle can quickly lead to symptoms of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (hepatic steatosis), which affects at least 75 percent of obese people.

New Model Predicts A Glacier's Life Posted: 31 Oct 2008 07:00 PM CDT Researchers have developed a numerical model that can re-create the state of Switzerland's Rhône Glacier as it was in 1874 and predict its evolution until the year 2100. This is the longest period of time ever modeled in the life of a glacier, involving complex data analysis and mathematical techniques. The work will serve as a benchmark study for those interested in the state of glaciers and their relation to climate change.

Once Improbable James Bond Villains Now Close To Real Thing, Spy Researcher Says Posted: 31 Oct 2008 07:00 PM CDT Researchers say that the once improbable seeming villains in the Bond movies have become close to the real threats face faced by modern security services. One researcher said, "Remarkably, the Bond villains - including Dr No, Goldfinger and Blofeld - have always been post-Cold War figures. Bond's enemies are in fact very close the real enemies of the last two decades - part master criminal - part arms smuggler - part terrorist - part warlord."

Extinct Sabertooth Cats Were Social, Found Strength In Numbers, Study Shows Posted: 31 Oct 2008 04:00 PM CDT The sabertooth cat, one of the most iconic extinct mammal species, was likely to be a social animal, living and hunting like lions today, according to new scientific research. The species is famous for its extremely long canine teeth, which reached up to seven inches in length and extended below the lower jaw of the cat.

Gaining Too Much Weight During Pregnancy Nearly Doubles Risk Of Having A Heavy Baby Posted: 31 Oct 2008 04:00 PM CDT A study of over 40,000 women and their babies found that women who gained more than 40 pounds during their pregnancies were nearly twice as likely to have a heavy baby. The study found that more than one in five women gains excessive weight during pregnancy, doubling her chances of having a baby that weighs 9 pounds or more.

Over-use Of Organic Fertilizers In Agriculture Could Poison Soils, Study Finds Posted: 31 Oct 2008 04:00 PM CDT Excessive doses of organic residues in agricultural fields could be dangerous for plants, invertebrates and micro-organisms living in the soil. This is the finding of a new study that shows that the use of appropriate levels of fertilizers would prevent this toxic impact on the soil biota.

By Imaging Live Cells, Researchers Show How Hepatitis C Replicates Posted: 31 Oct 2008 04:00 PM CDT The hepatitis C virus is a prolific replicator, able to produce up to a trillion particles per day in an infected person by hijacking liver cells in which to build up its viral replication machinery. Now new research -- in which scientists have for the first time used fluorescent proteins to image hepatitis C virus replication in live cells -- shows that the microscopic viral factories are a diverse mix of big, immobile structures and tiny replication complexes that zip zanily around inside the cell.

In Decision To Grow, Bacteria Follow The Crowd Posted: 31 Oct 2008 04:00 PM CDT When it comes to the decision to wake up and grow, bacterial spores "listen in" to find out what their neighbors are doing and then they follow the crowd, according to a new report.

Three Effective Treatments For Childhood Anxiety Disorders Posted: 31 Oct 2008 04:00 PM CDT Treatment that combines a certain type of psychotherapy with an antidepressant medication is most likely to help children with anxiety disorders, but each of the treatments alone is also effective, according to a new study in the New England Journal of Medicine.

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