ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

Global Warming Predictions Are Overestimated, Suggests Study On Black Carbon Posted: 25 Nov 2008 11:00 AM PST A detailed analysis of black carbon -- the residue of burned organic matter -- in computer climate models suggests that those models may be overestimating global warming predictions.

New Diabetes Treatment? New Source Of Insulin-producing Cells Identified Posted: 25 Nov 2008 11:00 AM PST Researchers have shown that insulin-producing pancreatic beta cells can form after birth or after injury from progenitor cells within the pancreas that were not beta cells.

Forests May Play Overlooked Role In Regulating Climate Posted: 25 Nov 2008 11:00 AM PST Scientists show that forests may influence the Earth's climate in important ways that have not previously been recognized.

Pain And Itch Responses Regulated Separately Posted: 25 Nov 2008 11:00 AM PST Historically, scientists have regarded itching as a less intense version of the body's response to pain, but researchers have now determined that pain and itch actually are regulated by different molecular mechanisms.

Can An Ant Be Employee Of The Month? Posted: 25 Nov 2008 11:00 AM PST Ants specializing on one job such as snatching food from a picnic are no more efficient than "Jane-of-all-trade" ants, according to new research from the University of Arizona in Tucson. The finding casts doubt on the idea that the worldwide success of ants stems from job specialization within the colony.

How Is Our Left Brain Is Different From Our Right? Posted: 25 Nov 2008 11:00 AM PST Scientists found that synaptic size and shape in the center of the spatial memory (i.e. hippocampus) were asymmetrical between synapses receiving input from the left and right hemisphere. Differences were found in the synaptic connections of the learning center of the brain.

Old Flies Can Become Young Moms Posted: 25 Nov 2008 08:00 AM PST Female flies can turn back the biological clock and extend their lifespan at the same time, biologists report. Study casts doubt on the old notion of a trade off between reproduction and longevity.

Transporting Broiler Chickens Could Spread Antibiotic-resistant Organisms Posted: 25 Nov 2008 08:00 AM PST Researchers have found evidence of a novel pathway for potential human exposure to antibiotic-resistant bacteria from intensively raised poultry -- driving behind the trucks transporting broiler chickens from farm to slaughterhouse.

Robots Created That Develop And Display Emotions And Become Attached To Certain People Posted: 25 Nov 2008 08:00 AM PST New robots develop and display emotions as they interact with humans, and become attached to them.

FoxJ1 Helps Cilia Beat A Path To Asymmetry Posted: 25 Nov 2008 08:00 AM PST Scientists have discovered how a genetic switch, known as FoxJ1, helps developing embryos tell their left from their right. While at first glance the right and left sides of our bodies are identical to each other, this symmetry is only skin-deep. Below the surface, some of our internal organs are shifted sideways -- heart and stomach to the left, liver and appendix to the right.

Microarray Analysis Improves Prenatal Diagnosis Posted: 25 Nov 2008 08:00 AM PST A "chip" or array that can quickly detect disorders such as Down syndrome or other diseases associated with chromosomal abnormalities proved an effective tool in prenatal diagnosis in a series of 300 cases at Baylor College of Medicine, according to an article in the journal Prenatal Diagnosis.

'Wiring' In The Brain Influences Personality Posted: 25 Nov 2008 08:00 AM PST Some people are constantly seeking a new kick; some prefer to stick to tried and tested things. Which group you belong to seems to be connected, inter alia, with the 'wiring' of specific centers of the brain. This was discovered by scientists at the University of Bonn using a new method. Even how much acceptance people seek is apparently also determined by nerve fibers in the brain.

Microcapsules Act As 'Roach Motel' To Kill Harmful Bacteria Posted: 25 Nov 2008 05:00 AM PST Scientists have created tiny microscopic spheres that trap and kill harmful bacteria in a manner the scientists liken to "roach motels" snaring and killing cockroaches. The research could lead to new coatings that will disinfect common surfaces, combat bioterrorism or sterilize medical devices, reducing the devices' responsibility for an estimated 1.4 million infection-related deaths each year.

Gulf War Research Panel Finds 1 In 4 Veterans Suffers From Illness Caused By Toxic Exposure Posted: 25 Nov 2008 05:00 AM PST At least one in four of the 697,000 US veterans of the 1991 Gulf War suffer from Gulf War illness, a condition caused by exposure to toxic chemicals, including pesticides and a drug administered to protect troops against nerve gas, and no effective treatments have yet been found, a federal panel of scientific experts and veterans concludes in a new report.

Deep Heat Solution To 500-million Year Fossil Mystery Posted: 25 Nov 2008 05:00 AM PST Scientists have shed new light on a 500-million year old mystery. Some 500 million year-old fossils of the Burgess Shale in Canada, discovered over a century ago, still provide one of the most remarkable insights into the dawn of animal life. The beautiful silvery fossils show the true nature of the life of that time, just after the "Cambrian explosion" of animal life. Yet, their existence is a paradox: the fossils have been buried deep in the Earth's crust and heated to over 300°C (~600 °F), before being thrust up by tectonic forces to form a mountainous ridge in the Rockies.

Advanced Lung Cancer Patients See Improved, Progression-free Survival Posted: 25 Nov 2008 05:00 AM PST Patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer whose disease has progressed following chemotherapy have a higher rate of tumor shrinkage and a longer interval before cancer progression when bevacizumab is added to standard second-line erlotinib therapy, according to a study presented at the 2008 Chicago Multidisciplinary Symposium in Thoracic Oncology, sponsored by ASTRO, ASCO, IASLC and the University of Chicago.

Sicilian Plant Gene Enters British Genetic Language Posted: 25 Nov 2008 05:00 AM PST Scientists have identified a key gene that was transferred from a Sicilian plant into a close relative in Britain, showing how genetic cross-talk between species can be important for evolution.

Predicting The Future For Patients With Severe Traumatic Brain Injury Posted: 25 Nov 2008 05:00 AM PST "How will our loved one come out of this?" After an accident that results in severe traumatic brain injury, the answer to this simple question can change everything. A new study describes the tools that are most effective at providing an objective answer to this question almost as soon as patients leave intensive care.

Flies May Reveal Evolutionary Step To Live Birth Posted: 25 Nov 2008 02:00 AM PST A species of fruit fly from the Seychelles Islands often lays larvae instead of eggs, biologists have discovered. Clues to how animals switch from laying eggs to live birth may be found in the well-studied species' ecology and genes.

Drug Therapy For Premature Infants Destroys Brain Cells In Mice Posted: 25 Nov 2008 02:00 AM PST A class of drugs that are used in premature infants to treat chronic lung damage can cause damage in the brain. New research suggests the drugs may cause cognitive and motor-control problems even when they are given before birth.

Sea Level Rise Alters Chesapeake Bay's Salinity Posted: 25 Nov 2008 02:00 AM PST While global-warming-induced coastal flooding moves populations inland, the changes in sea level will affect the salinity of estuaries, which influences aquatic life, fishing and recreation.

Breast Cancer Incidence Among Premenopausal U.S. Women Posted: 25 Nov 2008 02:00 AM PST African-American women under the age of 40 have a higher risk of breast cancer than do white women of a similar age. White women aged 40 and older, however, have a higher incidence than black women aged 40 and older.

Value Of Satellites Recognized For Conserving Wetlands Posted: 25 Nov 2008 02:00 AM PST Wetlands contribute to our lives in remarkable ways by providing food and water, controlling floods, protecting against storms and supporting biodiversity, yet they are experiencing loss and degradation on a massive scale.

Race Bigotry Falling In Britain, Study Finds Posted: 25 Nov 2008 02:00 AM PST Racial prejudice in Britain has been declining sharply in Britain since the 1980s thanks to the greater tolerance of younger generations, according to a new study. The research finds that social contact with black or Asian Britons is becoming increasingly unremarkable to white people in their 20s and 30s.

Binary Star Explosion Inside Nebula Challenges Star Theory Posted: 24 Nov 2008 11:00 PM PST The explosion of a binary star inside a planetary nebula has been captured -- an event that has not been witnessed for more than 100 years. The study predicts that the combined mass of the two stars in the system may be high enough for the stars to eventually spiral into each other, triggering a much bigger supernova explosion.

Drops In Blood Oxygen Levels May Be Key To Sudden Death In Some Epilepsy Patients Posted: 24 Nov 2008 11:00 PM PST A new study suggests that the sudden unexplained deaths of some epilepsy patients may be a result of their brains not telling their bodies to breathe during seizures.

NASA And DOE Collaborate On Dark Energy Research Posted: 24 Nov 2008 11:00 PM PST NASA and the U.S. Department of Energy have signed a memorandum of understanding for the implementation of the Joint Dark Energy Mission, or JDEM. The mission will feature the first space-based observatory designed specifically to understand the nature of dark energy.

New Clinical Study Will Help Doctors Assess Abnormal Bleeding Posted: 24 Nov 2008 11:00 PM PST How do you know if you bleed normally? Scientists aim to answer that question more definitively with the launch of an assessment tool designed to help physicians and researchers more accurately determine what is inside and outside the normal range of bleeding symptoms.

Genetic Information Advances The Breeding Of Dairy Cattle Posted: 24 Nov 2008 11:00 PM PST A Finnish researcher has demonstrated the impact of two candidate genes on the protein and fat content of milk and on the overall milk yield from dairy cows. The work also involved devising a method for identifying genetic polymorphisms in a sample extracted from a bovine embryo.

Applying 'Supply And Demand' Business Principles To Treat Infectious Diseases Worldwide Posted: 24 Nov 2008 11:00 PM PST Treating infectious diseases while meeting escalating costs to do so continues to pose worldwide challenges, with one of the main issues being the ability to provide an adequate supply of drugs to treat infectious diseases.

Strangulation Of Spiral Galaxies Posted: 24 Nov 2008 09:00 PM PST Astronomers have uncovered a type of galaxy that represents a missing link in our understanding of galaxy evolution. Galaxy Zoo, which uses volunteers from the general public to classify galaxies, and the Space Telescope A901/902 Galaxy Evolution Survey (STAGES) projects have used their vast datasets to disentangle the roles of "nature" and "nurture" in changing galaxies from one variety to another.

Combination Therapies May Be Almost As Effective As Insecticide-treated Bednets In Preventing Malaria In Areas Of Low Transmission Posted: 24 Nov 2008 09:00 PM PST Artemisinin combination therapies (ACTs) could be almost as effective in reducing transmission of malaria as insecticide-treated bednets (ITNs) in areas of low transmission, a study based on data from Tanzania has found. In high transmission areas, long-acting antimalarial regimens may be needed to achieve significant transmission reductions.

Mystery Of Missing Hydrogen: Apparent Absence From Distant Galaxies Puzzles Astronomers Posted: 24 Nov 2008 08:00 PM PST Something vital is missing in the far distant reaches of the universe: hydrogen -- the raw material for stars, planets and possible life. The discovery of its apparent absence from distant galaxies by a team of Australian astronomers is puzzling because hydrogen gas is the most common constituent of normal matter in the universe.

Mineral Oil Contamination In Humans: A Health Problem? Posted: 24 Nov 2008 08:00 PM PST From a quantitative standpoint, mineral oil is probably the largest contaminant of our body. That this contaminant can be tolerated without health concerns in humans has not been proven convincingly. An editorial in the European Journal of Lipid Science and Technology reflects on this and concludes that this proof either has to be provided or we have to take measures to reduce our exposure from all sources, including cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and the environmental contamination.

Quantum Computing Spins Closer Posted: 24 Nov 2008 08:00 PM PST The steps needed to achieve speedy optical control of electron spin in a quantum dot are revealed in a new study published in the journal Nature. The instructions bring the prospect of fast quantum computers one step closer.

Strategy For Predicting Immunity Of Vaccines Developed Posted: 24 Nov 2008 08:00 PM PST Researchers have developed a multidisciplinary approach involving immunology, genomics and bioinformatics to predict the immunity of a vaccine without exposing individuals to infection. This approach addresses a long-standing challenge in the development of vaccines -- that of only being able to determine immunity or effectiveness long after vaccination and, often, only after being exposed to infection.

Complex Systems Science: How Do Math And Intuition Help Us Understand Whole Systems? Posted: 24 Nov 2008 08:00 PM PST The human brain may be the ultimate complex system, but other examples appear everywhere. Take army ants. Despite their name, they have no general, and their queen sends out no instructions. No ant is aiming to get across that gully, and there is no blueprint or traffic light. Yet millions of ants, following the same instinctive rules of individual behavior, can build bridges with their bodies and forage for food along vast efficient highways.

Centenarians 'Grossly' Underdiagnosed for Depression Posted: 24 Nov 2008 08:00 PM PST Research presented at the Gerontological Society of America's annual meeting found that depression among centenarians is grossly underdiagnosed: more than 25 percent showed clinical levels of depression, yet only 8 percent had been diagnosed.

Preventing Tumor Cells From Refueling: A New Anti-cancer Approach? Posted: 24 Nov 2008 05:00 PM PST Not all cells in a tumor are equal. New data, generated in mice, now suggests that targeting one set of tumor cells (specifically those in regions of the tumor rich in oxygen) can limit the growth of other tumor cells (specifically those in regions of the tumor deprived of oxygen). This approach decreased tumor growth in two models of cancer and rendered the remaining cells sensitive to irradiation.

Earthworms’ Underground Invasion Threatens Forest Sustainability Posted: 24 Nov 2008 05:00 PM PST Earthworms have long been considered a friend to farmers and home gardeners, playing a vital role in soil quality. However, recent studies have shown that glaciated forests in North America --- forests that evolved without native earthworms -- now face the invasion of European earthworms from agriculture and fishing.

Fall Babies: Born To Wheeze? Posted: 24 Nov 2008 05:00 PM PST It is said that timing is everything and that certainly appears to be true for autumn infants. Children who are born four months before the height of cold and flu season have a greater risk of developing childhood asthma than children born at any other time of year, according to new research.

Second Warmest October For Global Temperatures, NOAA Says Posted: 24 Nov 2008 05:00 PM PST The combined global land and ocean surface average temperature for October 2008 was the second warmest since records began in 1880, according to a preliminary analysis by NOAA.

Tinnitus: Psychological Treatment And Neurostimulation Offer Hope Posted: 24 Nov 2008 05:00 PM PST A remarkable number of patients with tinnitus demonstrate withdrawal behavior and have a negative view of life. Feelings of anxiety and depression result in patients experiencing the complaint as a major burden on their quality of life. In addition to psychological treatment, neurostimulation now also appears to be a very promising therapy.

Cosmic Ray 'Hot Spots' Bombarding Earth With Cosmic Rays Posted: 24 Nov 2008 02:00 PM PST A Los Alamos National Laboratory cosmic-ray observatory has seen for the first time two distinct hot spots that appear to be bombarding Earth with an excess of cosmic rays. The research calls into question nearly a century of understanding about galactic magnetic fields near our solar system.

First Comprehensive Map Of Genes Likely To Be Involved In Bipolar Disorder Posted: 24 Nov 2008 02:00 PM PST Neuroscientists have created the first comprehensive map of genes likely to be involved in bipolar disorder.

Plants Grow Bigger And More Vigorously Through Changes In Their Internal Clocks Posted: 24 Nov 2008 02:00 PM PST Hybrid plants, like corn, grow bigger and better than their parents because many of their genes for photosynthesis and starch metabolism are more active during the day, report researchers in the journal Nature.

Mechanisms Of Cardiovascular Disease And Cancer Give Clues To New Therapies Posted: 24 Nov 2008 02:00 PM PST Cardiovascular conditions leading to heart attacks and strokes are treated quite separately from common cancers of the prostate, breast or lung, but now turn out to involve some of the same critical mechanisms at the molecular level. This in turn provides clues to more effective therapies for both cancer and cardiovascular diseases, but requires researchers in these distinct fields to come together.

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