ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

Four, Three, Two, One . . . Pterosaurs Have Lift Off Posted: 07 Jan 2009 11:00 AM PST Pterosaurs have long suffered an identity crisis. Pop culture heedlessly -- and wrongly -- lumps these extinct flying lizards in with dinosaurs. Even paleontologists assumed that because the creatures flew, they were birdlike in many ways, such as using only two legs to take flight.

Viagra's Other Talents: Help A 'Signaling' Protein Shield The Heart From High Blood Pressure Damage Posted: 07 Jan 2009 11:00 AM PST Researchers report what is believed to be the first direct evidence in lab animals that the erectile dysfunction drug sildenafil amplifies the effects of a heart-protective protein.

Journey Of A Green Turtle From Indonesia Into Australian Opens Mystery Of 'Oceanic Superhighway' Posted: 07 Jan 2009 11:00 AM PST The remarkable journey of a green turtle from Indonesia into Australian waters is helping conservationists to track the migratory route of this species to the Kimberley-Pilbara coast - one of the few relatively pristine coastal areas left on Earth.

Uncultured Bacteria Found In Amniotic Fluids Of Women Who Experience Preterm Births Posted: 07 Jan 2009 11:00 AM PST Researchers have made a significant advancement in understanding the cause behind why some pregnant women suffer from inflammations in the inner womb without any signs of an infection. Using gene-cloning techniques, researchers discovered that approximately 60 percent of the bacteria present in women with intra-amniotic inflammations were missed by traditional culture testing -- considered the gold standard for finding bacterial infections.

Space Technology To Soothe Roadster Ride Posted: 07 Jan 2009 11:00 AM PST Space missions are highly complex operations, not only because the satellites or space probes are unique pieces of top-notch intricate high-tech, but also because it is so challenging to get them to their assigned position in space without damage. The technology used is now being transferred to the car industry to increase comfort.

Asthma Attacks Triggered By Exertion At Work And Play Posted: 07 Jan 2009 11:00 AM PST Exertion at work and play can trigger deadly asthma attacks, according to new research. If you're an asthma sufferer, make sure the medical history at your doctor's office includes your employment and recreation plans. A new screening tool may save you a trip to the emergency room later on.

Physicists Squeeze Light To Quantum Limit Posted: 07 Jan 2009 08:00 AM PST Physicists have demonstrated a way to squeeze light to the fundamental quantum limit, a finding that has potential applications for high-precision measurement, next generation atomic clocks, novel quantum computing and our most fundamental understanding of the universe.

Brain Circuit Abnormalities May Underlie Bulimia Nervosa In Women Posted: 07 Jan 2009 08:00 AM PST Women with bulimia nervosa appear to respond more impulsively during psychological testing than those without eating disorders, and brain scans show differences in areas responsible for regulating behavior, according to a new report.

Genetic Roots Of Cacao Trees Traced Posted: 07 Jan 2009 08:00 AM PST By examining the DNA of cacao trees, scientists have traced the genetic roots of the key ingredient in chocolate.

Clues About The Evolution Of Epilepsy Posted: 07 Jan 2009 08:00 AM PST Two children have a seizure. One child never has another seizure. Twenty years later, the other child has a series of seizures and is diagnosed with epilepsy. A new study is looking at what could possibly happen in the development of these two children that would lead to such extreme variations in their neurologic health.

Speediest Sand Dunes Clocked From Space Posted: 07 Jan 2009 08:00 AM PST Monitoring the speeds of migrating dunes and the volumes of sand transported over time is important to understanding how arid landscapes respond to wind-driven changes.

Childhood Trauma And Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Risk Biologically Linked Posted: 07 Jan 2009 08:00 AM PST Childhood trauma is a potent risk factor for development of chronic fatigue syndrome, according to a new study.

Scientists See Brain Aging Before Symptoms Appear Posted: 07 Jan 2009 05:00 AM PST Scientists have used innovative brain-scan technology along with patient-specific information on Alzheimer's disease risk, to help diagnose brain aging, often before symptoms appear.

New Hope For Cancer Comes Straight From The Heart Posted: 07 Jan 2009 05:00 AM PST Digitalis-based drugs like digoxin have been used for centuries to treat patients with irregular heart rhythms and heart failure and are still in use today. Researchers now report that this same class of drugs may hold new promise as a treatment for cancer. This finding emerged through a search for existing drugs that might slow or stop cancer progression.

Peering Inside Skull Of A Mouse To Solve Meningitis Mystery: Immune Cells Implicated In Fatal Seizures Posted: 07 Jan 2009 05:00 AM PST Scientists have discovered an unexpected cause for the fatal seizures seen in mice with viral meningitis, according to a study published in the journal Nature. The finding may lead to a new way of thinking about how the human immune system responds to viral diseases.

New Insight Into Aggressive Childhood Cancer Posted: 07 Jan 2009 05:00 AM PST A new study reveals critical molecular mechanisms associated with the development and progression of human neuroblastoma, the most common cancer in young children. The research, published in the journal Cancer Cell, may lead to development of future strategies for treatment of this aggressive and unpredictable cancer.

California Study Shows Shade Trees Reduce Summertime Electricity Use Posted: 07 Jan 2009 05:00 AM PST A recent study shows that shade trees on the west and south sides of a house in California can reduce a homeowner's summertime electric bill by about $25.00 a year. The study, conducted last year on 460 single-family homes in Sacramento, is the first large-scale study to use utility billing data to show that trees can reduce energy consumption.

Maternity Leave Linked To Fewer C-sections And Increased Breastfeeding Posted: 07 Jan 2009 05:00 AM PST Two new studies find that women who start their leave in the last month of pregnancy are less likely to have cesarean deliveries, and that new mothers are more likely to establish breastfeeding the longer they delay their return to work. The studies take a rare look into whether taking maternity leave can affect health outcomes in the United States.

Hubble Views Galactic Core In Unprecedented New Detail Posted: 07 Jan 2009 02:00 AM PST A new color infrared image of the center of our Milky Way galaxy reveals a new population of massive stars and new details in complex structures in the hot ionized gas swirling around the central 300 light-years. This sweeping panorama is the sharpest infrared picture ever made of the Galactic core. It offers a nearby laboratory for how massive stars form and influence their environment in the often violent nuclear regions of other galaxies.

Cell Biologists Identify New Tumor Suppressor For Lung Cancer Posted: 07 Jan 2009 02:00 AM PST Cancer and cell biology experts have identified a new tumor suppressor that may help scientists develop more targeted drug therapies to combat lung cancer.

Timetable For Puget Sound Restoration Suffers Setback Posted: 07 Jan 2009 02:00 AM PST The slow natural restoration of hazardous sediments mired beneath the Puget Sound is progressing, but researchers warn that this recovery process may take 10 to 30 years longer than first predicted, because of increased urban growth and its associated untreated runoff.

Pneumococcal Vaccine Does Not Appear To Protect Against Pneumonia Posted: 07 Jan 2009 02:00 AM PST Commonly used pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccines do not appear to be effective for preventing pneumonia, found a new study by a team of researchers from Switzerland and the United Kingdom.

Reality Gets Hyperlinked Posted: 07 Jan 2009 02:00 AM PST European researchers can now attach hyperlinks to pictures you take using your mobile phone. It offers the prospect of new ways to discover, engage and navigate your surroundings.

'Recovery Coaches' Effective In Reducing Number Of Babies Exposed To Drugs Posted: 07 Jan 2009 02:00 AM PST Recovery coaches can significantly reduce the number of substance-exposed births as well as help reunite substance-involved families, saving state child-welfare systems millions of dollars in foster-care and other placement costs.

Researchers Create Car Parts From Coconuts Posted: 06 Jan 2009 11:00 PM PST A team of researchers who have identified a variety of low-cost products that can be manufactured from coconuts in poor coastal regions have now developed a way to use coconut husks in automotive interiors.

Stem Cells And Leukemia Battle For Marrow Microenvironment Posted: 06 Jan 2009 11:00 PM PST Learning how leukemia takes over privileged 'niches' within the bone marrow is helping researchers develop treatment strategies that could protect healthy blood-forming stem cells and improve the outcomes of bone marrow transplantation for leukemia and other types of cancer.

Scotland's Loch Leven On Road To Recovery After Decades Of Water Quality Problems Posted: 06 Jan 2009 11:00 PM PST New results from 40 years of intensive scientific research show that Loch Leven, Scotland's freshwater 'jewel in the crown', is on the road to recovery after decades of water quality problems. The best water quality since restoration measures began was recorded during 2008.

Decreased Activity Of Basal Ganglia Is Main Cause Of Abnormal Muscle Constrictions In Dystonia Posted: 06 Jan 2009 11:00 PM PST Dystonia is a neurological disorder characterized by involuntary abnormal muscle constrictions. The mechanism has not been well understood. Now, a Japanese research team has found that the decreased activity of the basal ganglia is the main cause of abnormal muscle constrictions of dystonia using a mouse model.

Snap, Map, Chat And Hyperlink? Posted: 06 Jan 2009 11:00 PM PST Hyperlinking reality is a huge advance for mobile navigation, interaction and for image recognition, but what can it actually do? Quite a lot, apparently, with more to come.

Doubts Make Consumers More Willing To Reevaluate Brands, Study Finds Posted: 06 Jan 2009 11:00 PM PST Most consumers crave a clear understanding of brand images, making them more receptive to new marketing messages if anything clouds their vision of companies or products, according to a new study.

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