ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

Sea Snakes Seek Out Freshwater To Slake Thirst Posted: 08 Nov 2008 07:00 PM CST Sea snakes may slither in saltwater, but they sip the sweet stuff. It has been the "long-standing dogma" that the roughly 60 species of venomous sea snakes worldwide satisfy their drinking needs by drinking seawater, with internal salt glands filtering and excreting the salt. Experiments with three species of captive sea kraits captured near Taiwan, however, found that the snakes refused to drink saltwater even if thirsty -- and then would drink only freshwater or heavily diluted saltwater.

What’s Your Child’s Genetic Destiny For Disease? Posted: 08 Nov 2008 07:00 PM CST What's your child's "genetic destiny?" Does diabetes run in your family? Or has a genetic test indicated that your child may some day be at risk for developing heart disease?

Tale Of Two Snails Reveals Secrets About The Biochemistry Of Evolution Posted: 08 Nov 2008 07:00 PM CST Researchers in Spain are reporting deep new insights into how evolution changes the biochemistry of living things, helping them to adapt to new environments. Their study, based on an analysis of proteins produced by two populations of marine snails, reveals chemical differences that give one population a survival-of-the fittest edge for life in its cold, wave-exposed environment.

Gout And Parkinson's: Studies Examine Treatment For Gout And The Condition's Protective Effects Posted: 08 Nov 2008 07:00 PM CST The goal in treating patients with gout is to reduce acute attacks by lowering serum urate levels, which are usually high in this disease. At the same time, high serum urate levels have been shown to lower the risk of developing Parkinson's disease.

Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow: Tracking Hair Loss And Growth Mathematically Posted: 08 Nov 2008 07:00 PM CST Scientists have developed maths-based imaging technology to measure hair on different parts of the human body.

Many Motorists Don't See Need To Heed Speed Limits Posted: 08 Nov 2008 07:00 PM CST Research suggests US motorists are growing increasingly cynical about the relevance of speed limits, and a new study indicates many motorists are more likely to think they can drive safely while speeding as long as they won't get caught.

Pool Of Distant Galaxies: Deepest Ultraviolet Image Of The Universe Yet Posted: 08 Nov 2008 01:00 PM CST This uniquely beautiful patchwork image, with its myriad of brightly colored galaxies, shows the Chandra Deep Field South (CDF-S), arguably the most observed and best studied region in the entire sky. The CDF-S is one of the two regions selected as part of the Great Observatories Origins Deep Survey (GOODS), an effort of the worldwide astronomical community that unites the deepest observations from ground- and space-based facilities at all wavelengths from X-ray to radio.

How Body Determines Optimal Amount Of Germ-fighting B Cells Posted: 08 Nov 2008 01:00 PM CST Researchers can now explain how the body determines whether there are enough mature B-cells in the blood stream at any one time.

Accident Ahead? New Software Will Enable Cars To Make Coordinated Avoidance Maneuvers Posted: 08 Nov 2008 01:00 PM CST A road construction barrier falls over: The car driver can't avoid it, since there are cars on the lane next to him. In future, a new software program will enable cars to coordinate maneuvers together in dangerous situations.

Type 2 Diabetes Management: Apelin Hormone Injections Powerfully Lower Blood Sugar Posted: 08 Nov 2008 01:00 PM CST By injecting a hormone produced by fat and other tissues into mice, researchers report in Cell Metabolism that they significantly lowered blood sugar levels in normal and obese mice. The findings suggest that the hormone known as apelin might be a promising target for managing insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. Insulin resistance, in which normal amounts of insulin are insufficient to lower blood sugar (glucose) levels, is a precursor to diabetes.

Overfishing Threatens European Bluefin Tuna Posted: 08 Nov 2008 01:00 PM CST Bluefin tuna disappeared from Danish waters in the 1960s. Now the species could become depleted throughout the northeast Atlantic and Mediterranean, according to new research. Bluefin tuna is a treasured delicacy, particularly as sushi. The species in the Mediterranean Sea and northeast Atlantic is caught by fishermen from many countries, particularly France, Spain and Italy.

Pregnancy Diabetes Doubles Risk Of Language Delay In Children Posted: 08 Nov 2008 01:00 PM CST Children born to mothers with pregnancy-related diabetes run twice the risk of language development problems, according to a new study. This study is the first to isolate the effect of gestational diabetes from other factors including family socioeconomic status, alcohol and tobacco consumption as well as maternal hypertension during pregnancy.

Paleontologists Doubt 'Dinosaur Dance Floor' Posted: 08 Nov 2008 07:00 AM CST Potholes or tracks? A group of paleontologists visited the northern Arizona wilderness site nicknamed a "dinosaur dance floor" and concluded there were no dinosaur tracks there, only a dense collection of unusual potholes eroded in the sandstone. So the scientist who leads the University of Utah's geology department says she will team up with the skeptics for a follow-up study.

Could Vitamin D Save Us From Radiation? Posted: 08 Nov 2008 07:00 AM CST A form of vitamin D could protect us against damage from low levels of radiation according to new research in the International Journal of Low Radiation.

Protein-printing Technique Gives Snapshots Of Immune System Defense Posted: 08 Nov 2008 07:00 AM CST A new technique lets researchers, for the first time, look at single white blood cells and measure specific characteristics of the set of antibodies they produce when the body is under attack. The ability to measure antibodies from many individual immune cells may aid vaccine research and allow innovative medical tests.

Pregnancy Disorder Signals Need To Screen For Heart Disease Posted: 08 Nov 2008 07:00 AM CST High blood pressure experienced during pregnancy could be a woman's earliest warning that she is at risk of developing heart disease. Called pre-eclampsia, this type of high blood pressure occurs in 5-10 per cent of all pregnancies.

Tuning In To The Virtues Of Virtual Labs Posted: 08 Nov 2008 07:00 AM CST The grid's huge communication and computation capacities could let scientists gather data and run remote experiments anywhere in the world. Researchers have now mapped out how that can be done.

PTSD Symptoms Associated With Increased Risk Of Death After Heart Events Posted: 08 Nov 2008 07:00 AM CST Individuals who receive implantable cardiac defibrillators after a sudden heart event appear more likely to die within five years if they experience symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, regardless of the severity of their disease, according to a new report.

Robots Show That Brain Activity Is Linked To Time As Well As Space Posted: 07 Nov 2008 10:00 PM CST Humanoid robots have been used to show that that functional hierarchy in the brain is linked to time as well as space. Researchers in Japan have created a new type of neural network model which adds to the previous literature that suggests neural activity is linked solely to spatial hierarchy within the animal brain.

Melanin Production Discovered In Fat Tissue May Protect Some Individuals Against Chronic Diseases Associated With Obesity Posted: 07 Nov 2008 10:00 PM CST A new study may open the door to new therapies for combating chronic diseases associated with obesity. While analyzing samples taken from morbidly obese patients undergoing weight loss surgery, researchers discovered that substantial quantities of melanin were being produced in the study participants' fat tissue.

Unraveling Lion's Natural History Using Host And Virus Population Genomics Posted: 07 Nov 2008 10:00 PM CST The lion is one of the world's most charismatic carnivores. In a new study, researchers provide insights into the genetic structure and history of lion populations. Their work refutes the hypothesis that African lions consist of a single, randomly breeding population. It also indicates the importance of preserving populations in decline as opposed to prioritizing larger-scale conservation efforts.

Dietary Sport Supplement Shows Strong Effects In The Elderly Posted: 07 Nov 2008 10:00 PM CST Beta-alanine, a dietary supplement widely used by athletes and body builders, has been proven to increase the fitness levels of a group of elderly men and women. The research suggests that BA supplementation improves muscle endurance in the elderly.

Sunlight Has More Powerful Influence On Ocean Circulation And Climate Than North American Ice Sheets Posted: 07 Nov 2008 10:00 PM CST A study reported in Nature disputes a longstanding picture of how ice sheets influence ocean circulation during glacial periods.

Androgynous Leaders Mean Increased Innovation Posted: 07 Nov 2008 10:00 PM CST Androgynous leaders, that is, leaders with both masculine and feminine traits, are the ones who best succeed at creating a good climate for innovation.

'Beauty Machine' Makes Average Face A Knockout With A Single Click Posted: 07 Nov 2008 07:00 PM CST Our mothers told us that true beauty is more than skin deep — but researchers are now challenging Mom. They've built a beauty machine that, with the press of a button, turns a picture of your own ordinary face into that of a cover model.

Is Stuttering In Our DNA? Posted: 07 Nov 2008 07:00 PM CST Bruce Willis, Marilyn Monroe, and Carly Simon all suffered from stuttering. Today, three million more Americans do, too. Most are able to overcome the handicap, which afflicts 5% of all children -- but childhood suffering from stuttering can be traumatic, producing educational, social, and occupational disadvantages. Scientists are now investigating the genetic factors that underlie stuttering.

Drivers Beware: Wildlife Specialist Offers Hints For Avoiding Deer-vehicle Crashes Posted: 07 Nov 2008 07:00 PM CST In November, when it comes to avoiding deer collisions, it's not the one you see crossing the road that's likely to get you, according to a wildlife expert. "It's the one that's chasing her," said Dr. Billy Higginbotham, Texas AgriLife Extension Service fisheries and wildlife specialist.

Key To Sonic Hedgehog Control Of Brain Development Found Posted: 07 Nov 2008 07:00 PM CST Researchers have discovered how the expression of the Sonic hedgehog gene is regulated during brain development and how mutations that alter this process cause brain malformations.

Harnessing Network Anarchy For The Common Good Posted: 07 Nov 2008 07:00 PM CST Anarchy may be the bane of political conservatives, but on the Internet it is the essence of the information superhighway.

Serial Cohabiters Less Likely Than Others To Marry Posted: 07 Nov 2008 07:00 PM CST A new study found that serial cohabiters are less likely than single-instance cohabiting unions to result in marriage.

Bullies May Enjoy Seeing Others In Pain Posted: 07 Nov 2008 04:00 PM CST Unusually aggressive youth may actually enjoy inflicting pain on others, research using brain scans shows. Scans of the aggressive youth's brains showed that an area that is associated with rewards was highlighted when the youth watched a video clip of someone inflicting pain on another person. Youth without the unusually aggressive behavior did not have that response, the study showed.

Diabetes, High Blood Pressure May Cause People With Alzheimer's Disease To Die Sooner Posted: 07 Nov 2008 04:00 PM CST People with Alzheimer's disease who also have diabetes or high blood pressure may die sooner than people without such disorders, according to a new study.

Hybrid Materials For Future Solar Cells Under Development Posted: 07 Nov 2008 04:00 PM CST Scientists are developing composite materials based on semiconductor nanoparticles and carbon nanotubes for use in efficient light emitting diodes and photovoltaic devices.

Without Glial Cells, Animals Lose Their Senses Posted: 07 Nov 2008 04:00 PM CST Scientists show that while neurons play the lead role in detecting sensory information, a second type of cell, the glial cell, pulls the strings behind the scenes. The findings, point to a mechanism that may explain not only how glia are required for bringing sensory information into the brain but also how glia may influence connections between neurons deep within in it.

Detecting Tiny Twists With A Nanomachine Posted: 07 Nov 2008 04:00 PM CST Scientists have developed a nanoscale spin-torsion oscillator that can measure miniscule amounts of twisting or torque in a metallic nanowire. The device can be used to uncover spin-dependent fundamental forces in particle physics and have applications in spintronics, chemistry, biology and fundamental physics.

Surprisingly, Female Models Have Negative Effect On Men Posted: 07 Nov 2008 04:00 PM CST A leading researcher of media effects on body image looked at the effect of male magazines on college-age men. Completing three different studies, she found that unlike their female classmates, it was not the same-sex models that affected the males negatively, but quite the opposite.

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