ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

People Are More Suggestible Under Laughing Gas Posted: 10 Jan 2009 05:00 PM PST The pain-relieving effects of nitrous oxide -- laughing gas -- may be enhanced by suggestion or hypnosis, according to a new study. The study's findings -- that people are more suggestible under the gas -- mean that dental patients may benefit from being coached to relax while undergoing sedation.

Protein That Protects Against Alzheimer's? Posted: 10 Jan 2009 05:00 PM PST Research on the mechanisms involved in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's, stroke, dementia, Parkinson's and multiple sclerosis, to name a few, has taken a step forward thanks to the work of researchers who have successfully demonstrated the protective and reparative role of apolipoprotein D, or ApoD, in neurodegenerative diseases. Their discovery suggests interesting avenues for preventing and slowing the progression of this type of illness.

New Computer Program Enables Powerful Data Analysis On Small Computers Posted: 10 Jan 2009 05:00 PM PST A powerful new tool that can extract features and patterns from enormously large and complex data sets has been developed. The tool -- a set of problem-solving calculations known as an algorithm -- is compact enough to run on computers with as little as two gigabytes of memory.

Obesity: Reviving The Promise Of Leptin Posted: 10 Jan 2009 05:00 PM PST The 1995 discovery of leptin, an appetite-suppressing hormone, generated great hopes for an effective obesity drug. But hopes dimmed when it was found that obese people are leptin-resistant. Now, researchers have, for the first time, re-sensitized the brain to leptin, using oral drugs that are already FDA-approved. In mice, this led to significant weight loss when combined with leptin treatment.

Smaller, Brighter Probe Tailored For Molecular Imaging And Tumor Targeting Created Posted: 10 Jan 2009 05:00 PM PST Researchers have developed a new generation of microscopic particles for molecular imaging, constituting one of the first promising nanoparticle platforms that may be readily adapted for tumor targeting and treatment in the clinic.

Ecstasy For Treatment Of Traumatic Anxiety Posted: 10 Jan 2009 05:00 PM PST Treatment with a pharmacological version of the drug ecstasy makes PSTD patients more receptive to psychotherapy, and contributes to lasting improvement. Now researchers explain why.

Scientists Refute Argument Of Climate Skeptics Posted: 10 Jan 2009 11:00 AM PST Scientists have investigated the frequency of warmer than average years between 1880 and 2006 for the first time. The result: the observed increase of warm years after 1990 is not a statistical accident.

New Molecule In Blood-pressure Control System Discovered Posted: 10 Jan 2009 11:00 AM PST Researchers have discovered that the nerve cells controlling heart rate and blood pressure synthesize a molecule known to be critically important for proper nervous system growth. The finding could someday play a significant role in the prevention of sudden infant death syndrome and high blood pressure.

Olive Skins Provide Natural Defense Against Colon Cancer, Study Suggests Posted: 10 Jan 2009 11:00 AM PST Scientists have found that the compound, present in olive skin's leaf and wax, inhibits the growth of HT29 colon-cancer cells. It may provide a useful new therapeutic strategy for the treatment of colon carcinoma. Low concentrations of maslinic acid are to be found in plants with medicinal properties, but its concentration in the waxy skin of olives may be as high as 80 percent.

'Stroke Belt' Deaths Tied To Non-traditional Risk Factors Posted: 10 Jan 2009 11:00 AM PST A new report underscores the notion that stroke risks go beyond geographic and racial differences. Researchers report that non-traditional risk factors must explain the South's higher stroke death rate. What those factors are need further study, but clearly diabetes and hypertension play an important role, the study authors said.

Molecular Imaging Enables Earlier, Individualized Treatment Of Thyroid Cancer Posted: 10 Jan 2009 11:00 AM PST In a study to determine the diagnostic value of molecular imaging in nodal staging of patients with thyroid cancer, researchers were able for the first time to accurately distinguish between cancerous cells in regional lymph nodes and normal residual thyroid tissue directly after surgery.

Renaissance Capitalist: New Research Answers Mystery About Illegitimate Daughter Of Pope Posted: 10 Jan 2009 11:00 AM PST In popular legend, Lucrezia Borgia stands falsely accused of poisoning her second husband. Victor Hugo portrayed her in thinly veiled fiction as a tragic femme fatale. Buffalo Bill named his gun after her. But groundbreaking new research reveals that the infamous duchess was less interested in political intrigue than in running a business.

How Did Life Begin? RNA That Replicates Itself Indefinitely Developed For First Time Posted: 10 Jan 2009 05:00 AM PST One of the most enduring questions is how life could have begun on Earth. Molecules that can make copies of themselves are thought to be crucial to understanding this process as they provide the basis for heritability, a critical characteristic of living systems. New findings could inform biochemical questions about how life began.

Gene That Increases Susceptibility To Crohn's Disease Discovered Posted: 10 Jan 2009 05:00 AM PST Researchers have discovered DNA variations in a gene that increases susceptibility to developing Crohn's disease. A 'Broken' bacterial sensor doesn't detect harmful bacteria in the digestive system.

Protein's Essential Role In Repairing Damaged Cells Revealed Posted: 10 Jan 2009 05:00 AM PST Researchers have discovered that a key protein in cells plays a critical role in not one, but two processes affecting the development of cancer.

More Effective Treatment For Pneumonia Following Influenza Found, Study Shows Posted: 10 Jan 2009 05:00 AM PST Scientists have demonstrated a more effective treatment for bacterial pneumonia following influenza. They found that the antibiotics clindamycin and azithromycin, which kill bacteria by inhibiting their protein synthesis, are more effective than a standard first-line treatment with the "beta-lactam" antibiotic ampicillin, which causes the bacteria to lyse, or burst.

Droughts And Floods: Extent Of Damage To Vegetation Depends On Sequence Of Events Posted: 10 Jan 2009 05:00 AM PST When extremes of drought and flood come in rapid succession, the extent of damage to vegetation may depend in part on the sequence of those events, according to a new study.

Preterm Births Rise 36 Percent Since Early 1980s Posted: 10 Jan 2009 05:00 AM PST Nearly 543,000 babies were born too soon in 2006, according to new government statistics. The nation's preterm birth rate (birth before 37 completed weeks gestation) rose to 12.8 percent in 2006 -- that's a 36 percent increase since the early 1980s.

Mosquitoes Create Harmonic Love Song Before Mating, Study Finds Posted: 09 Jan 2009 05:00 PM PST That pesky buzz of a nearby mosquito is the sound of love, scientists have known for some time. But a new study reports that males and females flap their wings and change their tune to create a harmonic duet just before mating.

Hormone Improves Human Ability To Recognize Faces But Not Places Posted: 09 Jan 2009 05:00 PM PST Oxytocin, a hormone involved in child-birth and breast-feeding, helps people recognize familiar faces, according to new research in the Journal of Neuroscience. Study participants who had one dose of an oxytocin nasal spray showed improved recognition memory for faces, but not for inanimate objects.

The Ribosome: Perfectionist Protein-maker Trashes Errors Posted: 09 Jan 2009 05:00 PM PST The enzyme machine that translates a cell's DNA code into the proteins of life is nothing if not an editorial perfectionist.

Deep Brain Stimulation Treatment For Advanced Parkinson's Disease Patients Provides Benefits, Risks Posted: 09 Jan 2009 05:00 PM PST Patients with advanced Parkinson's disease who received deep brain stimulation treatment had more improvement in movement skills and quality of life after six months than patients who received other medical therapy, but also had a higher risk of a serious adverse events, according to a new study.

Understanding Extinct Microbes May Influence The State Of Modern Human Health Posted: 09 Jan 2009 05:00 PM PST The study of ancient microbes may not seem consequential, but such pioneering research has implications for the state of modern human health. New results raise questions about the microbes living on and within people.

Surprisingly High Tolerance For Racism Revealed Posted: 09 Jan 2009 05:00 PM PST One reason racism persists is that many people imagine they would respond strongly to a racist act but actually respond with indifference, a new study shows. The study, being published just days before the inauguration of America's first black president, found that people overestimate how strongly they would react to racist comments.

Milky Way A Swifter Spinner, More Massive, New Measurements Show Posted: 09 Jan 2009 02:00 PM PST Our home galaxy is rotating about 100,000 miles per hour faster than previously thought, meaning its mass is 50 percent greater. This makes it even with the Andromeda Galaxy, and no longer the "little sister" in our local group of galaxies.

Young Blood Fights Cancer Posted: 09 Jan 2009 02:00 PM PST 'New blood' can revitalize a company or a sports team. New research now finds that young blood does a body good as well, especially when it comes to fighting cancer.

Nose-spray Vaccine Against Botulism Effective In First Tests Posted: 09 Jan 2009 02:00 PM PST A pre-clinical study found a new nasal spray vaccine to provide complete protection against a major botulism toxin, according to a new study.

Angina: New Drug Gets Right To The Heart Of The Problem Posted: 09 Jan 2009 02:00 PM PST A compound designed to prevent chest pains in heart patients has shown promising results in animal studies, say scientists. Researchers have shown that the novel compound F15845 has anti-angina activity and can protect heart cells from damage without the unwanted side effects often experienced with other drugs.

Particulate Emission From Natural Gas Burning Home Appliances Posted: 09 Jan 2009 02:00 PM PST Natural gas, believed to be among the cleanest forms of fuel, does emit ultrafine airborne particulate matter when burned in home appliances such as stove tops and water heaters.

Metabolic Syndrome A Risk For Veterans With PTSD Posted: 09 Jan 2009 02:00 PM PST Veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are more likely to have metabolic syndrome than veterans without PTSD, according to a new study.

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