ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

Clockwork That Drives Powerful Virus Nanomotor Discovered Posted: 31 Dec 2008 05:00 PM PST Peering at structures only atoms across, researchers have identified the clockwork that drives a powerful virus nanomotor. Because of the motor's strength -- to scale, twice that of an automobile -- the new findings could inspire engineers designing sophisticated nanomachines. In addition, because a number of virus types may possess a similar motor, including the virus that causes herpes, the results may also assist pharmaceutical companies developing methods to sabotage virus machinery.

Gene Therapy Reversed Heart Damage In Rats With Heart Failure Posted: 31 Dec 2008 05:00 PM PST Long-term gene therapy resulted in improved cardiac function and reversed deterioration of the heart in rats with heart failure, according to a recent study.

Mouse Trap? Immunologist Calls For More Research On Humans, Not Mice Posted: 31 Dec 2008 05:00 PM PST The fabled laboratory mouse -- from which we have learned so much about how the immune system works -- can teach us only so much about how we humans get sick and what to do about it, says a leading researcher.

Don't Scratch That Itch: Blocking The Protein IL-21R Helps Prevent A Form Of Eczema Posted: 31 Dec 2008 05:00 PM PST Researchers have identified a role for the protein IL-21R in a mouse model of atopic dermatitis, a common allergic inflammatory skin disease often known as eczema.

Shade Coffee Benefits More Than Birds Posted: 31 Dec 2008 05:00 PM PST Here's one more reason to say 'shade grown, please' when you order your morning cup of coffee. Shade coffee farms, which grow coffee under a canopy of multiple tree species, not only harbor native birds, bats and other beneficial creatures, but also maintain genetic diversity of native tree species and can act as focal points for tropical forest regeneration.

Family Rejection Of Lesbian, Gay And Bisexual Children Linked To Poor Health In Childhood Posted: 31 Dec 2008 05:00 PM PST A predictive link has been established between negative family reactions to their child's sexual orientation and serious health problems. Negative parental behaviors toward LGB children dramatically compromises their health.

Songs From The Sea: Deciphering Dolphin Language With Picture Words Posted: 31 Dec 2008 11:00 AM PST In an important breakthrough in deciphering dolphin language, researchers in Great Britain and the United States have imaged the first high definition imprints that dolphin sounds make in water.

Genes That Made 1918 Flu Lethal Isolated Posted: 31 Dec 2008 11:00 AM PST By mixing and matching a contemporary flu virus with the "Spanish flu" -- a virus that killed between 20 and 50 million people 90 years ago in history's most devastating outbreak of infectious disease -- researchers have identified a set of three genes that helped underpin the extraordinary virulence of the 1918 virus.

Aphids Leave Old Exoskeletons Near Their Colonies, As Decoys Posted: 31 Dec 2008 11:00 AM PST By leaving the remains of their old exoskeletons, called 'exuviae', in and around their colonies, aphids gain some measure of protection from parasites. Parasitoid wasps are likely to attack the empty shells, resulting in a lower attack rate on their previous occupants -- much like in the popular 'shell game' confidence trick.

Small Molecules, Large Effect: How Cancer Cells Ensure Their Survival Posted: 31 Dec 2008 11:00 AM PST Scientists have identified a molecular mechanism used by cancer cells to "defend" themselves against chemotherapeutics in an attempt to ensure their own survival. Both the messenger substance nitrogen monoxide (NO) and the protein survivin play a role in this.

Cracking A Tough Nut For Semiconductor Industry Posted: 31 Dec 2008 11:00 AM PST Researchers have developed a method to measure the toughness of the thin insulating films that play a critical role in high-performance integrated circuits, a technique that can help improve the reliability and manufacturability of ICs.

Risk Takers, Drug Abusers Driven By Decreased Ability To Process Dopamine Posted: 31 Dec 2008 11:00 AM PST For risk-takers and impulsive people, New Year's resolutions often include being more careful, spending more frugally and cutting back on dangerous behavior, such as drug use. But new research finds that these individuals -- labeled as novelty seekers by psychologists -- face an uphill battle in keeping their New Year's resolutions due to the way their brains process dopamine.

Better Antifreezes To Preserve Donor Organs For Transplantation Posted: 31 Dec 2008 05:00 AM PST Chemists in Canada have developed a new approach for producing more effective medical antifreeze fluids for preserving kidneys, hearts, and other organs donated for transplantation. These next-generation antifreezes can decrease damage to organs caused by ice crystals, and thus prolong the time a donated organ will remain viable prior to transplantation. This could increase the number of available organs for potential recipients.

Blood Sugar Linked To Normal Cognitive Aging Posted: 31 Dec 2008 05:00 AM PST Maintaining blood sugar levels, even in the absence of disease, may be an important strategy for preserving cognitive health, suggests a new study. The findings suggest that exercising to improve blood sugar levels could be a way for some people to stave off the normal cognitive decline that comes with age.

Researchers Print Dense Lattice Of Transparent Nanotube Transistors On Flexible Base Posted: 31 Dec 2008 05:00 AM PST It's a clear, colorless disk about 5 inches in diameter that bends and twists like a playing card, with a lattice of more than 20,000 nanotube transistors capable of high-performance electronics printed upon it using a potentially inexpensive low-temperature process.

MRI Scans Can Predict Effects Of Multiple Sclerosis Flare-ups On Optic Nerve Posted: 31 Dec 2008 05:00 AM PST One of the most pernicious aspects of multiple sclerosis -- its sheer unpredictability -- may finally be starting to yield to advanced medical imaging techniques.

Human Hair Combined With Compost Is Good Fertilizer For Plants Posted: 31 Dec 2008 05:00 AM PST Studies have shown that human hair, a readily available waste generated from barbershops and hair salons, combined with additional compost, is an additional nutrient source for crops.

Third-hand Smoke: Another Reason To Quit Smoking Posted: 31 Dec 2008 05:00 AM PST Researchers have described how tobacco smoke contamination lingers even after a cigarette is extinguished -- a phenomenon they define as "third-hand" smoke. They examine, for the first time, adult attitudes about the health risks to children of third-hand smoke and how those beliefs may relate to rules about smoking in their homes.

Another Reason To Avoid High-fat Diet: It Can Disrupt Our Biological Clock, Say Researchers Posted: 30 Dec 2008 11:00 PM PST Indulgence in a high-fat diet can not only lead to overweight because of excessive calorie intake, but also can affect the balance of circadian rhythms -- everyone's 24-hour biological clock, researchers have shown.

Moderate Drinking Can Reduce Risks Of Alzheimer's Dementia And Cognitive Decline, Analysis Suggests Posted: 30 Dec 2008 11:00 PM PST Moderate drinkers often have lower risks of Alzheimer's disease and other cognitive loss, according to researchers who reviewed 44 studies. In more than half of the studies, published since the 1990s, moderate drinkers of wine, beer and liquor had lower dementia risks than nondrinkers.

Botany: Root System Architecture Arises From Coupling Cell Shape To Auxin Transport Posted: 30 Dec 2008 11:00 PM PST What determines the pattern of root growth has until now been a mystery, but a new paper in PLoS Biology shows that the shape of the existing root can determine how further roots branch from it because shape determines hormone concentration. The work also suggests that the root-patterning system shares a deep evolutionary relationship to the patterning system of plant shoots, something that had not been realized previously.

Women Double Fruit, Veggie Intake With Switch To Mediterranean Diet Plan Posted: 30 Dec 2008 11:00 PM PST Women more than doubled their fruit and vegetable intakes and dramatically increased their consumption of 'good' fats when they were counseled by registered dietitians and provided with a list of guidelines on the amount of certain foods they should eat each day.

Professor Helps Control Infectious Diseases With Models And Math Posted: 30 Dec 2008 11:00 PM PST Can an algebraic equation hold the secret to eradicating malaria or schistosomiasis? A mathematics professor is utilizing the combination of algorithms and models in an effort to assist his medical colleagues in the fight against infectious diseases.

Skipping Sleep May Signal Problems For Coronary Arteries Posted: 30 Dec 2008 11:00 PM PST One extra hour of sleep per night appears to decrease the risk of coronary artery calcification, an early step down the path to cardiovascular disease. Calcified arteries were found in 27 percent of those who slept less than five hours a night, 11 percent of those who slept five to seven hours and six percent of those who slept more than seven hours a night.

Mars Rovers Near Five Years Of Science And Discovery Posted: 30 Dec 2008 09:00 PM PST NASA rovers Spirit and Opportunity may still have big achievements ahead as they approach the fifth anniversaries of their memorable landings on Mars.

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